The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra has a history dating back to 1945, when Stefan Rachoń, a violinist and conductor, established an orchestra which was to fulfil a wide range of tasks. In addition to its main goal of making the archival recordings for Polish Radio and Polish Television, the orchestra performed at special concerts and festivals. As of the mid-1970s, the orchestra worked under several conductors, who also acted as its Artistic Directors. They included Włodzimierz Kamirski (1975-1980), Jan Pruszak (1980-1988) and Mieczysław Nowakowski (1988-1990). During the four-year tenure of Tadeusz Strugała (1990-1993), the ensemble was given its present name and moved to the brand-new Polish Radio Concert Hall, which was soon named after the great composer Witold Lutosławski. With an auditorium seating over 400, the Hall boasts state-of-the-art  recording and broadcast equipment.
Wojciech Rajski, who served as the orchestra’s Artistic Director in 1993-2006, organized a series of auditions and tests for  prospective members in the wake of which he rejuvenated the orchestra by engaging many up-and-coming enthusiastic musicians. The day-to-day activity of the orchestra comprises  recordings for Polish Radio and public concerts in the Witold Lutosławski Concert Hall. Its foreign tours - to France, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, the Czech Republic and Latvia - have been met with both critical acclaim and enthusiastic reception among audiences. They have included performances in such prestigious venues as Milan’s La Scala, the Lingotto Auditorium in Turin, the Concertgebouw  in Amsterdam and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt.
      It has also taken part in numerous events promoting Polish culture abroad, such as the gala concert during the MIDEM Fair in Cannes and the ceremony of presenting Wojciech Kilar with the ‘Golden Spectre’ Prize of the Foundation of Polish Culture. In 2005 the orchestra recorded Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus (cond. Jerzy Maksymiuk). It was the work’s first recording in the Polish language. 
      In March 2007 Łukasz Borowicz, who had performed and made recordings with the orchestra for some time, was appointed its Artistic Director.  The CD featuring Schumann’s works (conducted by Borowicz, with the cellist Dominik Połoński) won the ‘Fryderyk’ Award of the Polish recording industry (2007). During the 2007/08 season, the orchestra gave concert performances of Verdi’s Falstaff.  In March 2008, during the 12th  Ludwig van Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, Borowicz conducted the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in a concert performance of Cherubini’s Lodoïska, staged under the artistic supervision of  Christa Ludwig. Both works were released on CDs by the Polish Radio, and the Lodoïska album was nominated for the Midem Classical Awards and Fryderyk. On 19 and 20 April 2008 orchestra performed all symphonies of Robert Schumann. The 2008/09 season was inaugurated with the concert performance of the opera Maria  by the Polish composer Roman Statkowski (1859-1925). Its live recording is to be released soon by Polish Radio. To mark the centenary of birth and 40th anniversary of death of Grażyna Bacewicz, her three violin concertos ( with Joanna Kurkowicz ) and Overture were recorded for Chandos Records. On 13th Ludwig van Beethoven Festival Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra with Polish Radio Choir performed opera Berggeist by Louis Spohr. In May 2009 orchestra gave concerts in Seoul on International Music Festival. The concerts were conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki and Łukasz Borowicz. The 2008/09 season concluded with a concert of works by Andrzej Panufnik. This was a part of a joint project with cpo for the recording of Panufnik's music by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Łukasz Borowicz, to be released as a 3 CD-set.