Originally, it was known as the Shanghai Public Band, expanding in 1907 to an orchestra.

In 1922, it was renamed as the Shanghai Municipal Council Symphony Orchestra.

It played at the Shanghai Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

[2] Long Yu is currently the conductor and musical director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the artistic director and principal conductor of China Philharmonic Orchestra, and the music director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, sharing his time between the three.

Jindong Cai of Stanford University said of Yu that he has "done a lot for the development of [European] classical music in China".