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Tickets & Events
Philadelphia Orchestra History

Key Historic Moments

The Orchestra’s history is filled with moments shared with its city, its audiences, and the world. Each one reflects the ways music has brought people together across generations. 

1900: Orchestra Debuts in Philadelphia

Fritz Scheel raises the baton for The Philadelphia Orchestra’s very first concert at the Academy of Music, launching 125 years of artistry, innovation, and unforgettable music. 

 

 

1902: Carnegie Hall Debut

Just two years after its founding, The Philadelphia Orchestra steps onto the stage at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall, affirming its rapid rise to national prominence.

1906: Performing for the President

In 1906, the Orchestra brings its artistry all the way to the White House, performing for President Theodore Roosevelt and sharing Philadelphia’s sound on the national stage.

1916: A Monumental U.S. Premiere

Leopold Stokowski and The Philadelphia Orchestra present the American premiere of Mahler’s massive Eighth Symphony (“Symphony of a Thousand”) with 110 orchestra musicians, 950 choristers, and eight vocal soloists. The nine acclaimed concerts at the Academy of Music and New York’s Metropolitan Opera House make history.  

“Great as many of his other works are, it seems to me that all his life he had sought, but not found, complete expression of what was in his heart and soul, but at last, at the end of his all too short and stormy life, he found complete utterance in this noble and unique work.”—Leopold Stokowski on Mahler’s Eighth Symphony 

1921: Children’s Concerts Begin

Leopold Stokowski launches children’s concerts, a tradition that continues today with the Orchestra’s Family Concerts and Sound All Around.

1925: Recording Pioneers

Leopold Stokowski and The Philadelphia Orchestra make recording history as the first orchestra to be captured using the new electrical method, replacing the old acoustical system and ushering in a bold new era of sound.

1929: On the Air Nationwide

The Philadelphia Orchestra takes to the airwaves in a historic first: the first commercially sponsored national radio broadcast, presented on the NBC network.

1930: Concerts in the Park

The Orchestra begins its summer tradition at the Robin Hood Dell, a new venue in Fairmount Park created to be the Orchestra’s summer home. Bringing symphonic music to the outdoors in Philadelphia is a legacy that continues today with summer concerts at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts.

1939: Disney Magic

The Philadelphia Orchestra makes Hollywood history by recording the soundtrack to Disney’s groundbreaking animated film Fantasia under Leopold Stokowski. It is the Orchestra’s third film soundtrack, following The Big Broadcast of 1937 and 100 Men and a Girl.

Licensed by Disney© Concerts

1948: National TV Debut

The Philadelphia Orchestra becomes the first orchestra to appear on nationwide television, debuting on CBS, just 90 minutes ahead of Toscanini and the NBC Symphony. 

1957: Academy Anniversary Concert and Ball

The Orchestra purchases the Academy of Music in the historic building’s centennial year and holds the first annual Anniversary Concert and Ball, to fund restoration and improvement projects. 

1966: Summer in Saratoga

The Orchestra begins its long-running summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York, a venue designed and built especially for the ensemble and the New York City Ballet.

1976: New Philadelphia Summer Home

The Orchestra opens the Robin Hood Dell West, now the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, continuing its tradition of bringing music to Philadelphia summers.

1991: Tribute to MLK

Retired 76ers basketball star Julius “Dr. J” Erving joins the Orchestra to narrate Copland’s Lincoln Portrait at the first annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute Concert, conducted by Riccardo Muti. 

1993: Red October

Wearing tails, Orchestra sweatshirts, and Phillies hats, the Orchestra performs the National Anthem at Game 4 of the World Series at Veterans Stadium, the first time a major orchestra plays at the Fall Classic.

1994: A Series for Toddlers

The Orchestra launches Sound All Around, a series designed to introduce toddlers to the families of the orchestra—strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion—sparking curiosity and joy in music. 

2001: Benefit for September 11 Victims

Five days after September 11, Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Orchestra give a free benefit concert at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, televised by WHYY, to support victims of the tragedy. 

2001: A New Home

After more than a century at the Academy of Music, the Orchestra moves into its new home at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, a venue built for the ensemble and as a regional arts hub. 

2007: Summer in Vail

The Orchestra begins its annual residency at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Colorado, expanding its summer tradition to the Rocky Mountains.

2015: Performing for the Pope

Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestra perform for Pope Francis during his historic visit to Philadelphia, first, with Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, Juanes, and the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale during the World Meeting of Families, and then at the Papal Mass with archdiocesan choirs. 

2020: Playing Through the Pandemic

On March 12, the Orchestra livestreams Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies along with the world premiere of Iman Habibi’s Jeder Baum spricht, all in an empty hall, as concerts are canceled due to COVID-19. Soon after, the Orchestra launches innovative digital programming, including its Digital Stage, HearTOGETHER podcast, and Our City, Your Orchestra video series.

2021: A United Institution

The Philadelphia Orchestra merges with its home, the Kimmel Center, solidifying a shared future.

2022: A Tribute to the Queen

When news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death breaks hours before their BBC Proms performance, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestra honor her with “God Save the Queen” and “Nimrod” from Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations in place of the scheduled program.

2024: Honoring Marian Anderson

The Orchestra rededicates its concert hall at the Kimmel Center as Marian Anderson Hall, honoring the legendary Philadelphia-born singer and civil rights icon.