The roots of Filharmonie Brno go back to the 1870s, when the young Leoš Janáček endeavored to establish a Czech symphony orchestra in Brno. The works of the famous twentieth-century composer constitute the core of the orchestra’s repertory, and to this day Filharmonie Brno considers itself to be the authentic performer of his oeuvre. Since its foundation, the orchestra has given well over 300 performances of works by Janáček globally, and has recorded Janáček’s complete symphonic and cantata works.

 The present orchestra was created in 1956 by merging the Brno-based Radio and Regional orchestras, and since then has been among the leading Czech orchestras in terms of both size and importance. On its tours abroad, it has performed about a thousand concerts throughout Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, and both the Middle and Far East. Filharmonie Brno is a regular guest at festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad, frequently joining forces for these appearances with the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno.

 Throughout its history, the orchestra has had a number of Czech and international conductors, including Kurt Masur, Yehudi Menuhin, Karl Ancerl, Sir Charles Mackerras, Bretislav Bakala, František Jílek, Petr Altrichter, Jirí Belohlávek, Jakub Hruša and Tomáš Netopil, and has thrived on musical partnerships with a number of exceptional soloists such as Yefim Bronfman, Rudolf Buchbinder, Elina Garanča, Sophia Jaffé, Wilhelm Kempff, Olga Kern, Gidon Kremer, John Lill, Johannes Moser, Julian Rachlin, Sviatoslav Richter, Fazil Say, and Eva Urbanova, to name only a few. Maestro Davies is in his third season as the orchestra’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director.

​The orchestra regularly records for the Czech Radio, Czech Television and a number of music labels such as Supraphon, Sony Music, IMG Records, BMG, Classic FM, Universal, Channel 4, also receiving a growing number of commissions from global clientele through the agency Czech Orchestra Recordings.

 Since 2000, Filharmonie Brno has been organizing the open-air summer festival at the Špilberk castle in Brno, and in 2012 has become the organizer of the renowned traditional festivals Moravian Autumn, Easter Festival of Sacred Music and Exposition of New Music. The orchestra sponsors the internationally-lauded children’s choir Kantiléna, has been involved since 2010 in the young musicians’ festival Mozart’s Children, and in 2014 founded the Filharmonie Brno Orchestra Academy.

 Today Filharmonie Brno is not only a strong player in the field of symphonic music at home and abroad, but also the primary organizer of the musical season in the second largest Czech city, an active instigator of festivals and a creative leader in orchestral programming.