The orchestra changed its name to the New York Chamber Symphony in 1986 and in 1996 moved to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.
Guest artists who have performed with the New York Chamber Symphony early in their careers include Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Dawn Upshaw, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, Yefim Bronfman, Joshua Bell, Hélène Grimaud, Horacio Gutiérrez, and Hilary Hahn.
It was also known for its performances of contemporary music, commissioning works from composers such as David Diamond, Bright Sheng, Richard Danielpour, and Aaron Jay Kernis.
Each year, it presented and recorded concerts of world premieres by American composers, under the sponsorship of the Master Musicians Collective.
In 1993, the symphony won an award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for its commitment to new music programs.