During the opening concert, which was held on 10 November 1947, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra performed under the baton of its first conductor, Stanisław Wisłocki. He was later succeeded by Jerzy Katlewicz, Robert Satanowski, Witold Krzemieński, Zdzisław Szostak, Renard Czajkowski, Wojciech Rajski, Wojciech Michniewski, Andrzej Boreyko, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, José Maria Florencio and Grzegorz Nowak.
In the 2007/2008 artistic season, Marek Pijarowski became the Chief Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra. Łukasz Borowicz is the ensemble’s First Guest Conductor. One of the most famous and recognised Polish symphonic ensembles, the orchestra performs at major music centres at home and abroad. It has toured almost all European countries, and performed at several leading international music festivals, incl. the Romaeuropa-Villa Medici, Kissinger Sommer, Ankara Sanat Festivali, Festwochen in Herrenhausen, Bregenzer Frühling, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Choriner Musiksommer and Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, International Music Festival Janáčkův Máj, Smetanova Litomyšl International Opera Festival.
The Orchestra accompanied participants of the first postwar edition of the Chopin Competition in Warsaw; since 1952, it has regularly played with the finalists of International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competitions in Poznań.
The Orchestra has performed with such illustrious conductors, as Hermann Abendroth, Walerian Bierdiajew, Andrzej Boreyko, Paul McCreesh, Marco Erede, János Ferencsik, Reinhard Goebel, Christopher Hogwood, Pietari Inkinen, Jacek Kaspszyk, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Zygmunt Latoszewski, Zdeněk Mácal, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Sir Neville Marriner, Rafael Payare, Jérémie Rhorer, Witold Rowicki, Ainārs Rubiķis, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Václav Smetáček, Antoni Wit, Carlo Zecchi, as well as with outstanding soloists: Piotr Anderszewski, Martha Argerich, Piotr Beczała, Rafał Blechacz, Gábor Boldoczki, Pavol Breslik, Bertrand Chamayou, Sarah Chang, Seong-Jin Cho, Andrzej Dobber, Helen Donath, Wojciech Drabowicz, Jean Fournier, Ida Haendel, Anita Hartig, Andrzej Hiolski, Stephen Hough, Philippe Jaroussky , Sumi Jo, Ryszard Karczykowski, Antonina Kawecka, Simone Kermes, Olga Kern, Joanna Kozłowska, Gidon Kremer, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Aleksandra Kurzak, Sergei Leiferkus, Julia Lezhneva, Christian Lindberg, Bernard Ładysz, Adam Makowicz, Witold Małcużyński, Albrecht Mayer, Francesco Meli, Sabine Meyer, Johannes Moser, Leszek Możdżer, Victoria Mullova, Sergei Nakariakov, Wiesław Ochman, David and Igor Oistrakhs, Gerhrad Oppitz, Emmanuel Pahud, Ewa Podleś, Maurizio Pollini, Samuel Ramey, Vadim Repin, Rugierro Ricci, Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, Artur Rubinstein, Gil Shaham, Alexandra Soumm, Martin Stadtfeld, Akiko Suwanai, Henryk Szeryng, Stefania Toczyska, Simon Trpčeski, Maxim Vengerov, Arcadi Volodos, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Narciso Yepes, Christian Zacharias, Krystian Zimerman, Nikolai Znaider.
The ensemble have made numerous recordings of symphonic, opera, and ballet pieces for the radio, television, and record companies (Sony Classical, Polmusic, Wichtel Records, Polskie Nagrania, Muza, Largo Records, Dux, CD Accord, Naxos). Conducted by Łukasz Borowicz, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra together with the Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, as well as soloists – Wioletta Chodowicz, Robert Gierlach and Wojtek Gierlach – made in 2016 the world première recording of “Quo vadis” oratorio by Feliks Nowowiejski. The two-CD album was released in 2017 by the German record company cpo. In 2018 it received the prestigious ICMA prize (2018).
Famous throughout Europe for its excellent acoustic properties and exquisite Neo-Renaissance architecture, as well as capable of seating almost one thousand listeners, the Auditorium of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań is the concert venue of the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra.