Big Five orchestras in the USA

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BBC Music
5/26/2023

The US is awash with fine professional symphony orchestras, from the likes of LA Philharmonic in the west and the Dallas Symphony in the south to the Minnesota Orchestra in the north and Washington’s National Symphony in the east.

Many have valid claims to be among the country’s best – in terms of wealth, popularity and, of course, sheer ability – but there is one particular group that will forever be known as the ‘Big Five’.

It would take a brave person indeed to insist that these five enjoy some sort of pre-eminence that is forever set in stone, but history has granted them membership of this elite club – the term was first applied in the 1950s, when radio broadcasts and commercial recordings were growing in popularity, and simply stuck. So, who are the ‘Big Five’ in question?

  • New York Philharmonic

  • Boston Symphony

  • Philadelphia Orchestra

  • Chicago Symphony Orchestra

  • Cleveland Orchestra