Brussels Philharmonic

The Brussels Philharmonic is a Belgian symphony orchestra based in Brussels.

The orchestra was founded in 1935 as a studio ensemble of the NIR, Belgium's public broadcasting company, and was called the Groot Symfonie-Orkest van het NIR at that time. After the abolition of the NIR by the law of 18 May 1960, the Groot Symfonie-Orkest remained unitary for a while, as part of the "Instituut der Gemeenschappelijke Diensten". But after that was also abolished, the BRT established its own orchestra in 1978, the Filharmonisch Orkest van de BRT. With the name changes of the BRT, the orchestra's name also evolved, becoming successively the Filharmonisch Orkest van de BRTN and subsequently the Vlaams Radio Orkest.

In 1998, the orchestra was divested by the broadcasting company. On 2 March 1998, it received a new status as a vzw and became an institution of the Flemish Community. In 2008, the name Vlaams Radio Orkest, which still suggested a connection with the broadcasting company, was replaced by Brussels Philharmonic.[1]