gave its first concert on 5 November 1901 at the newly built Philharmonic Hall. The Orchestra was conducted by Emil Młynarski,  the Philharmonic’s cofounder, first Music Director and Principal  Conductor, while the soloist was Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

The Warsaw Philharmonic’s rapidly rising performance standards soon attracted outstanding artists from all over the world.  Both before World War I and during the interwar period, it established itself as the main centre of musical life in Poland and one  of the most prominent musical institutions in Europe. Nearly  all the famous conductors and soloists of the day performed  here, including Claudio Arrau, Edvard Grieg, Arthur Honegger,  Vladimir Horowitz, Bronisław Huberman, Wilhelm Kempff, Otto  Klemperer, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninov, Maurice Ravel,  Artur Rodziński, Arthur Rubinstein, Pablo Sarasate, and Richard  Strauss. In the first years after World War II, the Orchestra’s concerts would take place in theatres and sports halls. On 21 February 1955, a new building for the Philharmonic at Jasna Street  was inaugurated, erected on the site of its predecessor, which was  destroyed by German air raids. 

On that day, the Warsaw Philharmonic received the title of a national institution.

Under the leadership of Witold Rowicki, the Orchestra regained  its status as the leading symphony ensemble in Poland. In  1955–58, it was Bohdan Wodiczko who held the position of  Artistic Director, which he later handed over to Rowicki. In 1977,  the position was taken over by Kazimierz Kord, and from 2002  to 2013, it was Antoni Wit who served as the Chief and Artistic Director of the Warsaw Philharmonic. From the 2013/14 to  the 2019/20 season, the post of Artistic Director—responsible  for the Ensembles’ development, the repertoire and selection of  guest artists—was held by Jacek Kaspszyk, and he was followed by Andrzej Boreyko, who was the Artistic Director until the end of  the 2023/24 season. As of 1 September 2024, Krzysztof Urbański  took over this function.

Today, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys worldwide  popularity and acclaim. It has made over 160 concert tours on  five continents, appearing in all of the world’s major concert halls,  and participated in many prestigious music events and international festivals. It regularly accompanies the finalists of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition and takes part in  the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary  Music, the Chopin and his Europe International Music Festival,  and the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. The orchestra  records for Polish Radio and TVP, as well as for Polish and foreign record labels and film companies and has frequently received  prestigious phonographic awards, including a Grammy in 2013.