It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax.
Several conductors, such as Leopold Stokowski, Riccardo Chailly, Richard Bonynge, Charles Gerhardt, Michael Kamen, Carlos Païta and Loris Tjeknavorian have made recordings with the orchestra.
2, In the Steppes of Central Asia, and opera Prince Igor (including Polovtsian Dances) for RCA Red Seal.
The orchestra has been featured on the soundtrack of many films (particularly those scored by Jerry Goldsmith, Maurice Jarre and Robert O. Ragland) as well as a selection of Star Wars suites from the John Williams catalogue.
Kenneth Schermerhorn conducted the orchestra on the soundtrack of Baryshnikov's production The Nutcracker, a staging of Tchaikovsky's ballet which became a television classic, after being presented live onstage.