Founded in November 1924, until 1991 it was known as the State Symphony Orchestra of Cinematography at the Council of Ministers of the USSR (Russian: Государственный симфонический оркестр кинематографии при Совете Министров СССР).
The orchestra was unofficially founded in November 1924 at the Moscow cinema "Ars", located on Arbat Street.
In 1930–1940's orchestra performed music for films such directors as Sergei Eisenstein, Vsevolod Pudovkin, Grigori Aleksandrov and Ivan Pyryev.
Among the later films, musical party which served the orchestra – movies, The awarded "Oscar" ("War and Peace", "Dersu Uzala", "Burnt by the Sun", "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears"), as well as modern Russian films ( "Doctor Zhivago", "Miracle", "The House number 6," "Pete on the way to heaven", "King", "12", "Admiral").
At various times over the conductor's stand were: Alexander Gauk, Svetlanov, Yuri Nikolaev, Mark Ermler, Krimets Constantine, George Garanian.