The term orchestra is derived from the front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus. The history and development of the orchestra goes back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but during the 20th century, very little has changed. A chamber orchestra is a smaller version and numbers up to about 40 players.

A symphony or philharmonic orchestra usually has about 80 permanent musicians and sometimes employs extras according to the work being played. There is no difference in the terms symphony or philharmonic except that in cities with more than one orchestra, it comes in handy to be able to differentiate. Philharmonic means fond of or devoted to music.

The Cyprus State Orchestra was established in 1987 by the unanimous decision of the Council of Ministers and, since then, has carried out commendable work in the field of promotion of classical music and cultural education of Cyprus. Τhe orchestra´s first Artistic Director was Ayis Ioannides, who was succeeded by Roland Melia in 1998. In September 2002, the post was been held by  Maciej Zoltowski and since 2006, Spiros Pisinos.
The orchestra´s artistic season comprises twenty concert series which are presented in all the major towns of the island. Its repertoire includes music from the Baroque and Classical periods, as well as significant number of works of the twentieth century. The orchestra regularly premieres new works, particularly by Cypriot composers. The orchestra collaborates with eminent soloists and guest conductors from Cyprus and abroad. Recent collaborations include Vladimir Ashkenazy, the Wilanow String Quartet, Cyprien Katsaris, Martino Tirimo, Demetris Sgouros, Christodoulos Georgiades, Piotr Plawner and Marios Papadopoulos.
The Cyprus State Orchestra is committed in its educational role with the last few years of educational programmes  developed by the Music Inspector of Secondary Education Mrs Maro Skordi. These include concerts for school children, visits in classrooms by the orchestra musicians and projects involving the participation of children.
The orchestra has toured abroad and given concerts in Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Denmark, France and the U.K.

In January 2007, the Cyprus State Orchestra changed its name and became the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.  It is no longer run by the Ministry of Education and Culture but is a non-profit foundation run by a Board of Directors.