The orchestra also accompanies all productions of the Opéra national de Lorraine.
The precursor ensemble was established in 1884 as a municipal orchestra, with guidance from Edouard Brunel, the director of the Conservatoire de Nancy, and gave its first concert on 27 June 1884.
In 1889, the composer Joseph-Guy Ropartz, a successor to Brunel as director of the Conservatoire, and the director of the opera, Albert Carré, set up a season of symphonic concerts taking place in the Salle Poirel, built specifically for this purpose.
Calderon had previously served as principal guest conductor of the orchestra in the 2014–2015 season.
In October 2020, Marta Gardolińska first guest-conducted the orchestra, in the French premiere of Der Traumgörge of Alexander von Zemlinsky, as presented by the Opéra national de Lorraine.