The Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an orchestra established by Paul OíNeill in 1996. The bandís musical style includes symphonic, neoclassical and progressive types of hard rock/metal. They have performed versions of traditional Christmas songs. They are also well-known for their highly structured concerts and dozens of pyrotechnics.
In 1996, the band released their first album entitled "Christmas Eve and Other Stories". This is considered to be their best-selling album. In 1999, they first took the show on the road and had a lot of concerts in New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia.
In 2000, they released their first non-Christmas album entitled "Beethoven's s Night". The TSO has established a two-group format and are informally known as TSO East and TSO West. The touring band consists of 14 musicians, 2 narrators and 14 vocalists as of 2004.
They were placed 21st on the list of the most successful concert tours of the year due to their 2005 TSO tour which earned them over $ 21 million. They released another non-Christmas album called "Night Castle" last October 27, 2009.