[1] With around 100 musicians,[2] the OSO is Ottawa's largest orchestra, which allows it to perform large symphonic repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Canadian composers.
In the early 1970s, the OSO began performing in the large concert hall of the National Arts Centre.
Previous conductors have included Thomas Mayer (late 1950s), Clifford Hunt (1965-6), Nicholas Goldschmidt (1966-7), James Coles (1969–75), Brian Law (1975–91), and David Currie (1992-2016).
The OSO's Mission Statement is "to enrich the life of the community through, and to foster public appreciation for and interest in, symphonic music."
The OSO has premiered music by Canadian composers such as Jan Jarvlepp, Jean Coulthard, Robert Fleming, Andrew Huggett and Colin Mack.
Mary-Elizabeth Brown[6] has led orchestras under the direction of conductors Lorin Maazel, Kryszstof Penderecki, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Helmuth Rilling, Isaac Karabtchevsky, Placido Domingo and others.