The orchestra’s history dates back to 1801, then known as the Nuremberger City Musicians performing at the Nuremberg National Theatre. A real pinnacle in the orchestras first ten years was the public première in 1822 of Weber’s “Freischutz” In 1833 the orchestra moved into the newly built “Alte Stadttheater” Old Town Theatre in the Lorenzer Platz. In 1905 the building in the Frauentorgraben of the cities Opera House, and subsequent to its opening brought together in 1922 the City Theatre orchestra and, the in 1880 formed Philharmonic orchestra as the “City Orchestra”. With the Second World War the work of the orchestra was, in 1944 broken. The orchestra resumed in 1947 and a new era for the orchestra dawned under Karl Pschigode and Alfons Dressel.
A change in the status of the orchestra took place in 1968 when it became the Philharmonic Orchestra of the City of Nuremberg. The many years of work and the high quality of performances the orchestra was classified in 1981 as an A-orchestra, a classification well earned. The annual “Classic Open Air” concerts performed by the orchestra in the Luitpoldhain Park to tens of thousands captivated visitors are a real feature in the season calendar.