The Wrocław Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra was established in 1954 and from the beginning of its existence has drawn on the rich traditions of its home city which has played host to such great artists as Wagner, Brahms, Mahler, Bruch, Paderewski, Sarasate and Ysaÿe.

The Orchestra was founded in 1954 by Adam Kopyciński and Radomir Reszke and owes its development above all to its director-conductors, among others Józef Karol Lasocki, Andrzej Markowski Tadeusz Strugała and Marek Pijarowski.

Since 2006 the orchestra’s General Director is Andrzej Kosendiak – a conductor and proponent of early and choral music as well as the initiator of numerous musical festivals and competitions.

The Orchestra’s Artistic Director since 2006 is Maestro Jacek Kaspszyk, whose masterly interpretations of above all monumental masterpieces have given Wrocław audiences the opportunity of appreciating fully the power and absolute beauty of these works.

The orchestral soloists are graduates of the most prestigious European music academies educated under the guidance of renowned artists and teachers. The Wrocław Philharmonic players are not only professional musicians but passionate aficionados of music, representing several generations who form a truly unique ensemble.

The orchestra performs regularly, presenting around 100 programmes per season. Its repertoire is exceptionally varied, consisting of works from various musical eras and periods from the Baroque to the Contemporary. Thanks to their work under the direction of artists specializing in particular musical styles the Wrocław Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra can boast an ability to perform every musical genre in an authentic and historically informed manner. The orchestra also performs at music festivals, such as the Wratislavia Cantans, Warsaw Autumn, Chopin Festival, Musica Polonica Nova and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The orchestra has given performances in renowned concert halls throughout the world, including the Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Musikverein in Vienna, International Arts Centre in Antwerp, Tonhalle in Zurich, Festspielhaus in Salzburg, the Philharmonic Hall in Cologne and Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

The orchestra also participates in Wrocław Philharmonic’s well established and varied educational programme – a cycle of concerts entitled Philharmonic for Youth and the Family.

Many guest conductors also regularly conduct the Wroclaw Philharmonic, including most recently Paul McCreesh and Zbigniew Pilch. Other prominent conductors have included Leon Botstein, Kurt Masur, Krzysztof Penderecki, Carlos Paita, Pierre Colombo, Riccardo Frizza, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Doron Salomon, Paul Goodwin, Peter Guelke, Jan Krenz, Kazimierz Kord, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Tadeusz Strugała, Michał Klauza, Łukasz Borowicz, Lior Shambadal and Carlo Zecchi.  

Major soloists appearing with the Philharmonic have included Martha Argerich, Midori, Krystian Zimerman, David Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, Nigel Kennedy, Eugene Indjic , Gary Hoffman , Barry Douglas, Konstanty A. Kulka, Krzysztof Jablonski, Krzysztof Jakowicz, Elzbieta Chojnacka, Kaja Danczowska, Nicholas Daniel, Stanislaw Drzewiecki, Juan Diego Florez, Greg Giannascoli, Vadim Gluzman, Ilya Gringolts, Ryszard Groblewski, Ramon Jaffé, Peter Jablonski, Jakub Jakowicz, Ilya Kaler, Ernst Kovacic, Jozsef Lendvay, Adam Makowicz, Witold Malcuzynski, Michael Ponti, Alexander Rudin, Benjamin Schmid, Grigory Sokolov, Daniel Stabrawa, Tomasz Strahl, Luka Sulic, Radoslaw Szulc and William VerMeulen.

The orchestra records for Radio and Television and has many CD recordings to its credit. Since 2007 together with CD Accord the orchestra has been working on a project of recording all the works of their patron – Witold Lutosławski. The first recording of the cycle, Witold Lutosławski Opera Omnia 01. Chamber music, was released in 2008, and the next one, featuring the composer’s two symphonies under Jacek Kaspszyk’s baton, came out in 2010. The CD received the 2011 Fryderyk Phonographic Academy Awards. The third act of the series has recently been unveiled – it includes the Preludes and fugue for 13 instruments, and the Double Concerto for oboe, harp and chamber orchestra.

In October 2009 the orchestra was awarded a gold disc for its recording of their DVD entitled Symphonically Perfect.