[1] It played its first concert under its current name on 4 January 1896 when Antonín Dvořák conducted his own compositions, but it did not become fully independent from the opera until 1901.

In 1941, Talich and the orchestra made a controversial journey to Germany, where they performed Bedřich Smetana's My Country in a concert enforced by the German offices.

[1] Subsequent chief conductors included Rafael Kubelík (1942–1948), Karel Ančerl (1950–1968), Václav Neumann (1968–1989), Jiří Bělohlávek (1990–1992), Gerd Albrecht (1993–1996), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1996–2003), Zdeněk Mácal (2003–2007),[2] and Eliahu Inbal (2009–2012).

In the wake of the Velvet Revolution, under new conditions of financial insecurity, the orchestra reorganised in 1991 and controversially voted to appoint Gerd Albrecht its new chief conductor and to dismiss Bělohlávek.

[9] Past principal guest conductors of the orchestra have included Sir Charles Mackerras and Manfred Honeck.

[8] In February 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Sir Simon Rattle as its next principal guest conductor, for a period of five years, with the title of 'Rafael Kubelík Conducting Chair'.