The orchestra was founded in 1790 under the name Turun Soitannollinen Seura (Musical Society of Turku).
[1] In January 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of John Storgårds as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract through the spring of 2028.
[2] Past resident composers of the orchestra have included Mikko Heiniö.
With Leif Segerstam, the orchestra has released a series of albums for Naxos of the music of Jean Sibelius.
[3] The orchestra began to release monthly streaming videos of selected concerts in September 2016.