Founded by Alexander Lippay in 1926,[1] the orchestra has played a major role in Philippine history, including acting as a symbol of resistance during the Second World War.
Through the years, MSO has hosted artists Montserrat Caballé, Yehudi Menuhin, Igor Oistrakh, Eugene Istomin, Fou Ts'ong, Barry Tuckwell, Paul Badura-Skoda and Rony Rogoff, as well as conductors Andre Kostelanetz, Arthur Fiedler, Mendi Rodan, Robert Feist, Gareth Nair, Helen Quach, and Eduard Strauss II.
The introduction of the Popular Sunday Concerts in 1935 (with tickets as low as 30 centavos) proved to be a large success and greatly helped the orchestra financially.
[7] The Manila Symphony Orchestra today has young musicians who are trained by the Philippine Research for Developing International Soloists (PREDIS), which was founded in 1985 by Basilio Manalo and Sister Mary Placid Abejo at St. Scholastica's College.
[8] Filipino conductors have also taken the helm of the MSO, including Francisco Santiago, Basilio Manalo, and later Arturo Molina.
[10] In July 2024, MSO under conductor, Jeffrey Solares, bagged the Gold Prize and Grand Prix at the 13th Bratislava International Youth Music Festival in Slovakia.