Questions & Answers

What is a Symphony Orchestra?

In ancient Greece the “orchestra” was the space between the auditorium and the proscenium (or stage), in which were stationed the chorus and the instrumentalists. However, as performance venues became more varied, the term “orchestra” came to refer to the group of musicians rather than the space in which they performed. This is how the modern orchestra got its name.

Full size orchestras may sometimes be called "symphony orchestras" or "philharmonic orchestras". These names do not indicate any difference either to the instrumental content or role of the orchestra, but can be useful to distinguish different orchestras based in the same city (for instance, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra).