The orchestra was founded in 1953 as a community orchestra and gave its first public performance on January 13, 1954, conducted by Emil First at the Sudbury High School Auditorium. Eric Woodward, took over as Music Director in 1957, and in 1962 the orchestra was merged into the Sudbury Philharmonic Society, a combined choral and orchestral ensemble. The orchestra and the choir later became separate ensembles again, with the orchestra re-constituted in 1975 under its present name.Kozak, Metro. "Sudbury, Ont. The Canadian Encyclopedia/Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
