List of symphony orchestras in Europe explained

This is a non-exhaustive list of symphony orchestras in Europe. For orchestras from other continents, see List of symphony orchestras.

Pan-European orchestras

• Chamber Orchestra of Europe
• European Medical Students' Orchestra and Choir
• European Union Youth Orchestra
• Spira Mirabilis
• Ljubljana International Orchestra

Austria

• Ars Antiqua Austria
• Bruckner Orchestra Linz
• Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra
• Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg
• Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg
• Tonkünstler Orchestra
• Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Das Wiener Kammer Orchester)
• Vienna Mozart Orchestra (Wiener Mozart Orchester)
• Vienna Philharmonic (Wiener Philharmoniker)
• Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Vienna Symphony (Wiener Symphoniker)
• Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester
• Wiener Jeunesse Orchester (national youth orchestra)

Baltic States

• Kremerata Baltica
• Baltic Sea Philharmonic

Belgium

• Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
• Brussels Philharmonic
• Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra
• National Orchestra of Belgium
• Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
• Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra
• New Symphony Orchestra (Sofia)
• Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra
• Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra
• Sofia Symphonic Orchestra

Croatia

• Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra
• Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra

Czech Republic

• Barocco sempre giovane
• Bohemian Symphony Orchestra Prague
• Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
• Capellen Orchestra
• City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
• Czech National Symphony Orchestra
• Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
• Czech Symphony Orchestra (1994) (ČSO)
• Film Symphony Orchestra (FISYO), also known as Czech Symphony Orchestra during Live-Concerts
• Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
• Moravian Philharmonic
• Praga Sinfonietta Orchestra
• Prague Philharmonia (PKF)
• Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
• Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (SOČR)
• Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK/PSO)
• Suk Chamber Orchestra
• Teplice Symphony Orchestra

Denmark

• Aalborg Symphony Orchestra
• Aarhus Symphony Orchestra
• Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra
• Danish National Chamber Orchestra
• Danish National Symphony Orchestra
• Danish Youth Ensemble (national youth orchestra)
• Odense Symphony Orchestra
• Royal Danish Orchestra (Det Kongelige Kapel)

Estonia

• Estonian National Symphony Orchestra

European Union

• European Union Baroque Orchestra
• European Union Youth Orchestra
• European Union Chamber Orchestra

Finland

Professional orchestras

• Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra ("HKO", Finnish: Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Helsingfors stadsorkester), founded in 1882
• Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra ("RSO" (eng. "FRSO"), Finnish: Radion sinfoniaorkesteri, Swedish: Radions symfoniorkester), founded in 1927
• Tapiola Sinfonietta (Finnish: Tapiola Sinfonietta, Swedish: Tapiola Sinfonietta – Esbo stadsorkester), founded in 1987
• Lahti Symphony Orchestra (Finnish: Sinfonia Lahti – Lahden kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Sinfonia Lahti – Lahtis stadsorkester) founded in 1910
• Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra ("TFO", Finnish: Tampere Filharmonia – Tampereen kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Tampere Filharmonia – Tammerfors stadsorkester) founded in 1930
• Turku Philharmonic Orchestra (Finnish: Turku Filharmonia – Turun kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Åbo Filharmoniska Orkester – Åbo stadsorkester), founded in 1790
• Jyväskylä Sinfonia founded in 1955
• Oulu Symphony Orchestra (Finnish: Oulu Sinfonia – Oulun kaupunginorkesteri, Swedish: Oulu Sinfonia – Uleåborgs stadsorkester) founded in 1937
• Kymi Sinfonietta (Comprises Kouvola and Kotka City Orchestras) founded in 1999

Chamber orchestras

• Avanti! Chamber Orchestra (Finnish: Avanti! Kamariorkesteri, Swedish: Kammarorkester Avanti!), founded in 1983
• Lapland Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1972 (Finnish; Lapin kamariorkesteri)
• Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra

University and conservatorio orchestras

• Ylioppilaskunnan Soittajat ("YS", English: Helsinki University Symphony Orchestra, Swedish: Helsingfors Universitets studentorkester), founded in 1747 (1926)
• The Polytech Orchestra ("PO", Finnish: Polyteknikkojen orkesteri, Swedish: Polyteknikernas orkester), founded in 1922

France

• Concerts Colonne (Paris), founded in 1873
• Concerts Lamoureux (Paris), founded in 1881
• Concerts Pasdeloup (Paris), founded in 1861
• Ensemble InterContemporain, founded in 1976
• Ensemble La Fenice, founded in 1990
• Ensemble Matheus, founded in 1991
• Les Musiciens du Louvre (Grenoble), founded in 1982
• Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, founded in 1828, disbanded 1967
• Orchestre de Paris, founded in 1967
• Orchestre des Champs-Élysées (Poitiers), founded in 1991
• Orchestre Français des Jeunes (national youth orchestra)
• Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, founded in 1974
• Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, founded in 1974
• Orchestre National de France, founded in 1934
• Orchestre National de Lille, founded in 1976
• Orchestre National de Lyon, founded in 1905
• Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, founded in 1971
• Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, founded c.1932
• Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, founded in 1984
• Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, 1937
• Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, founded in 1855
• Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, founded in 1975
• Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, founded in 1884
• Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier, founded in 2001
• Rouen Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1998

Germany

• National youth orchestras:
  • Bundesjugendorchester
  • Junge Deutsche Philharmonie

A–M

• Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
• Akademische Orchestervereinigung
• Badische Staatskapelle
• Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (Bamberger Symphoniker)
• Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks)
• Bavarian State Orchestra (Bayerisches Staatsorchester)
• Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
• Berlin Philharmonic (Berliner Philharmoniker)
• Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (East Berlin) (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin)
• Berliner Symphoniker
• Bochumer Symphoniker
• Detmold Chamber Orchestra
  • Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
• Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
• Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
• Dortmunder Philharmoniker
• Dresden Philharmonic (Dresdner Philharmonie)
• Duisburg Philharmonic (Duisburger Philharmoniker)
• Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester (Frankfurt Opera)
• Fulda Symphonic Orchestra (Fuldaer Symphonisches Orchester)
• Freiburger Barockorchester
• Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
• Hamburger Symphoniker
• Hannoversche Hofkapelle
• Hofer Symphoniker
• hr-Sinfonieorchester
• Jenaer Philharmonie
• Klassische Philharmonie Bonn
• Konzerthausorchester Berlin (formerly Berlin Symphony Orchestra)
• Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester Leipzig)
• Mahler Chamber Orchestra
• MDR Symphony Orchestra
• Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle
• Münchner Rundfunkorchester
• Munich Philharmonic (Münchner Philharmoniker)

N–Z

• NDR Radiophilharmonie (Hannover)
• NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (Hamburg Elbphilharmonie)
• Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt (Offenbach am Main)
• Neue Philharmonie Westfalen
• Niedersächsisches Staatsorchester Hannover
• Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock
• Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie
• Nuremberg Symphony (Nürnberger Symphoniker)
• Philharmonia Hungarica, founded by Hungarian exiles, disbanded 2001
• Philharmonie Festiva
• Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
• Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin
• Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz
• Reuss Chamber Orchestra
• Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Staatskapelle Berlin
• Staatskapelle Dresden (Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden)
• Staatskapelle Halle
• Staatskapelle Weimar
• Staatsorchester Braunschweig (State Orchestra Brunswik)
• Staatsorchester Stuttgart
• Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
• Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
• SWR Symphonieorchester
• WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln
• WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne
• Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn

Greece

• Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra (national youth orchestra)
• Philharmonic Society of Corfu (Orchestra)

Hungary

• Budapest Festival Orchestra
• Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra
• Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, also known earlier as Budapest Symphony Orchestra
• Hungarian National Philharmonic
• Philharmonia Hungarica, founded by Hungarian exiles, based in Germany; dissolved in 2001
• Szeged Symphony Orchestra

Iceland

• Iceland Symphony Orchestra (Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands)

Ireland

• RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
• RTÉ Concert Orchestra
• Irish Chamber Orchestra
• Hibernian Orchestra
• Camerata Ireland
• Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Dublin Orchestral Players
• University College Dublin Symphony Orchestra
• National Youth Orchestra of Ireland (national youth orchestra)

Italy

• Accademia Filarmonica Romana, Rome
• Camerata de' Bardi, academic orchestra, Pavia
• I Musici, Rome
• I Solisti Veneti, Padua
• Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence
• Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome
• Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio
• Orchestra Filarmonica della Fenice, Venice
• Orchestra Giovanile Italiana (national youth orchestra)
• Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali, Milan
• Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Milan
• Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Turin
• Orchestra Mozart, founded by Claudio Abbado in Bologna
• Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta, directed by Ennio Morricone
• Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Rome
• RCA Italiana Orchestra
• Rondò Veneziano, Venice
• Teatro San Carlo Orchestra, Naples
• Teatro Carlo Felice Orchestra, Genova
• Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Orchestra, Rome
• Teatro Petruzzelli Orchestra, Bari
• Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra, Bologna
• Venice Baroque Orchestra

Latvia

• Latvian National Symphony Orchestra
• Liepaja Symphony Orchestra

Lithuania

• Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra
• Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra
• Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra
• Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra

Luxembourg

• Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra
• Luxembourg Sinfonietta

Malta

• Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Moldova

• Moldovan National Youth Orchestra (national youth orchestra)

Monaco

• Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra

Montenegro

• Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra

The Netherlands

• National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (national youth orchestra)
• Holland Symfonia
• Metropole Orchestra
• Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
• Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
• Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
• Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
• North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
• Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
• Residentie Orchestra
• Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
• Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Symfonisch Blaasorkest ATH

Norway

• Ungdomssymfonikerne (national youth orchestra)
• Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra
• Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
• Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra
• Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
• Norwegian Radio Orchestra
• Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
• Oslo Sinfonietta
• Stavanger Symphony Orchestra
• Trondheim Symphony Orchestra

Poland

• Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra (national youth orchestra)
• Pomeranian Philharmonic (Bydgoszcz)
• Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra (Kraków)
• Łódź Philharmonic (Łódź)
• Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice)
• Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Warsaw)
• Polish Baltic Philharmonic (Gdańsk)
• Poznań Philharmonic (Poznań)
• National Forum of Music Symphony Orchestra (Wrocław)
• Silesian Philharmonic (Katowice)
• Sinfonia Varsovia (Warsaw)
• Sudecka Philharmonic (Wałbrzych)
• Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra (Warsaw)
• Szczecin Philharmonic (Szczecin)
• Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, youth orchestra at concentration camp (historic)

Portugal

• Gulbenkian Orchestra
• Portuguese Chamber Orchestra

Romania

• Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra (Timișoara)
• Brasov Philharmonic (Brașov)
• Bucharest Symphony Orchestra
• George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Bucharest)
• Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra (Iași)
• National Radio Orchestra (Bucharest)
• Oltenia Philharmonic Orchestra (Craiova)
• Paul Constantinescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Ploiești)
• Romanian Youth Orchestra (national youth orchestra)
• Sibiu Philharmonic Orchestra
• Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra (Cluj-Napoca)

Russia

• Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra
• Moscow Chamber Orchestra
• Moscow City Symphony Orchestra
• Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
• Moscow State Symphony Orchestra
• Moscow Symphony Orchestra
• Moscow Virtuosi
• Murmansk Philharmonic Orchestra
• National Philharmonic of Russia
• Novosibirsk Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra
• Persimfans
• Russian National Orchestra
• Russian Philharmonic Orchestra
• Sochi Symphony Orchestra
• Saint Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra
• Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
• State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation
• State Symphony Capella of Russia
• State Symphony Cinema Orchestra
• Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra
• Ural Philharmonic Orchestra

Serbia

• Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra
• Niš Symphony Orchestra

Slovakia

• Cappella Istropolitana
• Slovak Philharmonic
• Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
• Slovak Youth Orchestra (national youth orchestra)
• Slovak Chamber Orchestra

Slovenia

• RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra
• Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra

Spain

• Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa
• Castile and León Symphony Orchestra
• Chamartín Symphony Orchestra
• Community of Madrid Orchestra
• Málaga Philharmonic
• Madrid Academic Orchestra
• Madrid Symphony Orchestra
• Orquesta Ciudad de Granada
• Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia
• Orquestra de Cadaqués
• Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga
• Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya
• Orquesta Sinfónica de Burgos
• Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia
• Orquesta Sinfónica de las Islas Baleares
• Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife
• Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu
• Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès
• Queen Sofía Chamber Orchestra
• Real Compañía Ópera de Cámara
• Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla
• RTVE Symphony Orchestra (based in Madrid)
• Sociedad de Conciertos de Madrid
• Spanish National Youth Orchestra (national youth orchestra)
• Orquesta Nacional de España (based in Madrid)
• Valencian Community Orchestra
• Valencia Orchestra

Sweden

• Gävle Symphony Orchestra
• Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
• Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra
• Kungliga Hovkapellet
• Malmö Symphony Orchestra
• Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
• Örebro Chamber Orchestra
• Royal Academic Orchestra
• Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
• Stockholm Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Swedish Chamber Orchestra
• Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Switzerland

• Basel Sinfonietta
• Berner Symphonie-Orchester
• Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra
• Camerata Bern
• Kammerorchester Basel
• Lucerne Festival Strings
• Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
• Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur
• Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
• Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
• Orchestre de chambre de Neuchâtel
• Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
• Sinfonieorchester Basel
• Tonhalle Orchester Zurich
• Zurich Chamber Orchestra
• Zurich Opera House Orchestra
• Zurich Symphony Orchestra

Turkey

• Antalya State Symphony Orchestra
• Barış Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Bilkent Symphony Orchestra
• Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra
• Bursa State Symphony Orchestra
• Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra
• Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra
• Izmir State Symphony Orchestra*
• Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra

Ukraine

• Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra
• National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine
• Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine
• Kyiv Symphony Orchestra
• Kyiv Classic Orchestra
• Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv Philharmonic

United Kingdom

England

• Academy of Ancient Music
• Academy of St Martin in the Fields
• BBC Concert Orchestra
• BBC Philharmonic
• BBC Symphony Orchestra
• Bournemouth Sinfonietta
• Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
• Britten Sinfonia
• Camerata of London
• City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
• City of London Sinfonia
• Docklands Sinfonia
• English Baroque Soloists
• English Chamber Orchestra
• English Concert
• Hallé Orchestra
• Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra
• Hull Philharmonic Orchestra
• Kensington Symphony Orchestra
• Kings Chamber Orchestra
• Leeds Symphony Orchestra
• Leicester Symphony Orchestra
  • London Chamber Orchestra London Classical Players
• London Festival Orchestra
• London Mozart Players
• London Philharmonic Orchestra
• London Shostakovich Orchestra
• London Sinfonietta
• London Symphony Orchestra
• Manchester Camerata
• National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
• New London Orchestra
• Northern Sinfonia
• Orchestra of Opera North
• Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
• Orchestra of the City
• Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra
• Philharmonia
• Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Sheffield Symphony Orchestra
• Sinfonia ViVA
• Sunderland Symphony Orchestra
• The King's Consort
• Worthing Symphony Orchestra
• Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra

Northern Ireland

• Ulster Orchestra

Scotland

• BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra
• BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
• National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
• Royal Scottish National Orchestra
• Scottish Chamber Orchestra
• Scottish Ensemble
• Scottish Festival Orchestra
• West of Scotland Schools Symphony Orchestra

Wales

• BBC National Orchestra of Wales
• Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra
• National Youth Orchestra of Wales
• Welsh Sinfonia
• Welsh Chamber Orchestra (founded in 1986)