The NSO regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including performances for ceremonial state affairs, presidential inaugurations and official holiday celebrations, including the annual National Memorial Day Concert in May and A Capitol Fourth concerts on July 4.

After an initial ad-hoc concert on January 31, 1930, the NSO was officially organized by the Dutch-born American cellist Hans Kindler in 1931, and remained under his direction until 1949.

One report spoke of tensions between the conductor and the orchestra, and mentioned criticisms of Slatkin's programming and rehearsal styles.

[8][9] In September 2008, the NSO announced the appointment of Christoph Eschenbach as the orchestra's sixth music director, effective with the 2010–2011 season, for an initial contract of four years.

[10] During his tenure, NSO released an album in 2011, including selections of their live performance from their program honoring the 50th anniversary of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's Inauguration.

[17] The COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellation of full-scale live in-person concerts, and led to a local community outreach programme in 2020 called "NSO in Your Neighborhood (IYN)".

(Much later, in 1960, the NSO would perform the first of these works under the baton of the visiting Romanian conductor George Georgescu, a close associate and favored exponent of the composer.

In July 2022, the NSO announced the formation of its own record label, to feature commercial releases of selected live performances.

As well, the NSO has presented The National Symphony Orchestra American Residencies for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.