Was founded in 1936. It has toured to 18 countries throughout the world. It has recorded 28 CDs commissioned by companies of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Japan, USA, France, United Kingdom, including such companies as Warner Classics International and Mirare. 

The orchestra worked with such renowned conductors and musicians as D. Kitayenko, G. Rozhdestvensky, K. Penderecki, M. Pletnev, V. Fedoseyev, V. Gergiev, A. Boreyko, K. Tennstedt, J.-C. Casadesus, E. Inbal, M. Rostropovich, N. Petrov, Y. Bashmet, D. Hvorostovsky, E. Virsaladze, N. Gutman, B. Berezovsky, A. Knyazev, L. Isakadze, P. Donohoe, V. Repin, N. Lugansky, D. Matsuev, S. Krylov, F. Kempf and others.

It took part in various international festivals: Beethovenfest in Bonn, La Folle Journee, Le Festival de Radio France, Le Festival International de Piano a la Roque d’Antheron, Le Festival de Musique Classique a Saint-Riquier, Nuits de la Citadelle a Sisteron, Russian Christmas at the Kennedy Center, Arts Square International Winter Festival, Stars of the White Nights Festival, Festival of the World’s Symphony Orchestras, Crescendo, Stars on Baikal Festival, EURASIA International Music Festival, Boris Berezovsky Festival, Trans-Siberian Art Festival. It has had two subscription series – in the Concert Hall and at the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The orchestra’s performances have been broadcasted by radio and television channels: Radio France, France Musique, Arte, NHK, and Kultura (Culture).