Until World War II, the orchestra gave only 20 public concerts, with freelance musicians to bolster the ranks.

After World War II, with the new Director General Hella Wuolijoki in place, the orchestra roster expanded to 50 musicians.

In December 2010, the orchestra announced the appointment of Hannu Lintu as its eighth chief conductor, as of the 2013-2014 season, with an initial contract of 3 years.

[2] In April 2019, the FRSO announced that Lintu is to conclude his chief conductorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2020-2021 season.

They have also recorded repertoire by non-Finnish composers, such as symphonies of Gustav Mahler and Carl Nielsen, and music of Béla Bartók.