Volgograd Philharmonic orchestra was founded in 1987. Its concert performances it began from chamber programs.

The founder artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra is Peopleрs Artist of Russian Federation Edward Serov. Musicians of the orchestra are acting all the spectrum of mastery schools of Russia and a number of countries of ex-USSR. These are graduaters from Moscow and St.-Petersburg conservatoiries, and conservatoiries of Saratov and other cities. At the last time the cast of the orchestra reinforced with graduateрs from music institutes of Volgograd, where the leading teachers are soloists of the orchestra.

From the first concerts of the orchestra its leadership is oriented towards musical classics, which takes the basic place in programs of the orchestra. To classics were devoted big concert series "Masterpieces of world music classics" "P.I.Tchaikovsky", "Great names", "Musical trips round the countries of the world", "Rimsky-Korsakov, his friends, pupils and contemporaries" and so on. At the same time an important place takes the music of XXth century from the most complex scores of G.Mahler, R.Schtrauss, A.Schoenberg, P.Hindemit, A.Berg, A.Vebern, K.Nielsen, I.Stravinsky and other composers of the first part of the age before the music, which was created ourdays (symphonies of B.Tchaikovsky, B.Tischenko, A.Tikhomirov, orchestras compositions of A.Schnitke, Y.Sviridov, G.Kancheli, J.Falik, A.Eschpai, E.Sigmeister, A.Hovannes, B.Loransen, D.Brosse, D.Skipvorth, V.Kikta, I.Nerholm, A.Peterson and others). The orchestra prepared a number of world and Russian premieres of compositions of modern composers of Russia, Denmark, Canada, Holland, USA. The repertoire of the orchestra includes philharmonic compositions of Volgograd composers as well.

Every season the orchestra prepares 25 new concert programs, which were included in cycles of evening season-tickets, in season-tickets for youth and children and festival programs. The orchestra also performs with soloists laureates of International youth competition "Symphony" (held since 1995 periodically once in 2 years) and International youth competition of pianists named P.Serebriakov (held since 1989 once in 2 years). The orchestra is initiator of both competitions.

Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by: Timur Minbaev, Serguei Skripka, Algirdas Paulavitchus, Jouri Kochnev, Feodor Gluschenko, foreign conductors Werner Shtiefel (Germany), Wolfgang Tcheipek (Austria), Taavo Virkhaus, Thomas Konlen, Dwite Oltman (USA), Andrew Whiller (Australia, in 1995-1996, constant guest-conductor of the orchestra), Tao Lin (China), Fernando Raucci (Italy), Kelo Oni (Finland), Gustavo Pliss-Sterenberg (Argentina), Emmanuel Siffert (Switzerland), Dirk Brosse (Belgium) and others. With the orchestra performed pianists Alexei Skavronsky, Alexei Nasedkin, Nickolai Petrov, Naum Schtarkman, Natalie Troull, Andrew Pissarev, violinists Victor Pickaizen, Irina Bochkova, Alexei Koshvanets, Boris Kipnis, Lydia Kovalenko, Mikhail Sekler, Levon Ambartsumian; cellists Victoria Iagling, Igor Gavrish, Natalia Shakhovskaya; flautist Alexander Korneev and many others. The orchestra keeps an active performance activity in Russia, and since 1990 has been regularly performing abroad, giving original concerts and concert studios, and takes part in International festivals, in projects with west orchestras, in Christmas tours.