ðɪ ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹə wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks baɪ bˈæɹi dʒɛkˈaʊski, ðə pɹˈɪnsɪpəl tˈɪmpɐnˌɪst fɚðə sˌæn fɹænsˈɪskoʊ sˈɪmfəni ænd ɐ dʒjˈuːɪlɪɚdtɹˈeɪnd kəndˈʌktɚ hˌuː hæd ɹˈiːsəntli mˌeɪd hɪz ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl deɪbjˈuː æz ðə ɡˈɛst kəndˈʌktɚɹ ʌvðə lˈʌndən fˌɪlhɑːɹmˈɑːnɪk ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹə.
The orchestra was founded in 1986 by Barry Jekowsky, the principal timpanist for the San Francisco Symphony and a Juilliard-trained conductor who had recently made his international debut as the guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.