The orchestra was founded by Tadeusz Szeligowski, composer and first Director of the Poznań Philharmonic. The opening concert was held on 10 November 1947 under the baton of the ensemble's first conductor, Stanisław Wisłocki, whose line of successors features the names of Jerzy Katlewicz, Robert Satanowski, Witold Krzemieński, Zdzisław Szostak, Renard Czajkowski, Wojciech Rajski, Wojciech Michniewski, Andrzej Borejko, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, José Maria Florencio, and Grzegorz Nowak.
From 2007/2008 artistic season Marek Pijarowski has become the chief conductor of Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra.
The ensemble has performed with such illustrious conductors, as Hermann Abendroth, Roberto Benzi, Walerian Bierdiajew, Henryk Czyż, Marco Erede, János Ferencsik, George Georgescu, Zdzisław Górzyński, Jacek Kaspszyk, Kazimierz Kord, Jan Krenz, Zygmunt Latoszewski, Zdeněk Mácal, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Witold Rowicki, Jerzy Semkow, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, Václav Smetáček, Antoni Wit, Bohdan Wodiczko, Carlo Zecchi, as well as outstanding soloists: Martha Argerich, Piotr Beczała, Rafał Blechacz, Andrzej Dobber, Helen Donath, Wojciech Drabowicz, Jean Fournier, Malcolm Frager, Monique Haas, Ida Haendel, Andrzej Hiolski, Ryszard Karczykowski, Antonina Kawecka, Olga Kern, Joanna Kozłowska, Gidon Kremer, Konstanty Andrzej Kulka, Aleksandra Kurzak, Sergei Leiferkus, Christian Lindberg, Bernard Ładysz, Adam Makowicz, Witold Małcużyński, Annick Massis, Johannes Moser, Leszek Możdżer, Sergei Nakariakov, Wiesław Ochman, Garrick Ohlsson, Dawid i Igor Ojstrachowie, Emmanuel Pahud, Ewa Podle¶, Maurizio Pollini, Samuel Ramey, Rugierro Ricci, ¦wiatosław Richter, M¶cisław Rostropowicz, Artur Rubinstein, Göran Söllscher, Henryk Szeryng, Stefania Toczyska, Wanda Wiłkomirska, Narciso Yepes, Krystian Zimerman.
The orchestra has toured several countries: Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Turkey, Iceland, Italy, Slovakia, and Lithuania, as well as given concerts at numerous international music festivals.
Since 1952, the ensemble has accompanied the finalists of Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competitions in Poznań; a number of contemporary Polish and foreign composers have entrusted the orchestra with opening performances of their compositions.
The ensemble have made numerous recordings of symphonic, opera, and ballet pieces for the radio, television, and record companies (Sony Classical, Naxos, Polmusic, Wichtel Records, Polskie Nagrania, Muza, Largo Records, Dux, CD Accord).
Famous throughout Europe for its excellent acoustic properties and exquisite Neo-Renaissance architecture, the Auditorium of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań is the concert venue of the Orchestra of the Poznań Philharmonic.