The Urban Soul Orchestra Story

Urban Soul Orchestra was founded by Musical Director Stephen Hussey, growing out of his work as an arranger, orchestrator and session musician in London’s recording industry. What began as a collective of session players developed into an orchestra with a distinctive place between the studio, the stage and contemporary music.

From the beginning, USO was built around the idea that an orchestra did not have to belong to one genre. Classical musicianship could sit naturally within soul, pop, dance, electronic and contemporary music, bringing orchestral scale to music and audiences far beyond the traditional concert hall.

Over the years, that approach has taken USO from recording studios and television broadcasts to major concert stages, festivals, international events and the BBC Proms, while the same musicianship, arranging and musical direction remain at the heart of what we do today.

Urban Soul Orchestra has performed at some of the UK and Europe’s most prestigious venues, including the Palais Garnier in Paris, Guildhall, the V&A, the Natural History Museum, the Barbican, Grosvenor House, The Dorchester and Harrods, alongside private estates and destination venues across Europe.

From intimate performances to large-scale productions for thousands, USO adapts to the setting while maintaining the same standard of musical direction, musicianship and production throughout.

Every USO project begins with a conversation. Tell us what you’re creating, where it’s happening and what you want the music to achieve. We’ll shape the right line-up, musical direction and approach around it.
Urban Soul Orchestra works across weddings, private events, corporate events, recording sessions, broadcast and live performance, with ensembles ranging from intimate string line-ups to full orchestra.

Explore our Ensembles and areas of work, or speak to our team about your project.