Founded in 1950, the orchestra is one of the Landesorchester of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, along with the Philharmonie Südwestfalen and the Landesjugendorchester NRW.

The orchestra is funded partly by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia[1] and an association of communities in the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe.

[3] The players are engaged in pedagogical programs for schools and young listeners, reaching more than 12,000 children a year.

The conductor has been Frank Beermann, GMD of the Chemnitz Opera: Throughout the project, the orchestra was positioned at the back of the small stage.

and called it the "omniscient narrator and commentator, as well as the source of energy for the action" ("allwissender Erzähler und Kommentator wie Energiequelle des Geschehens").