At the end of World War I, a group of high school graduates established "a society for the nourishment of classical music" that developed into the first symphonic orchestra of Dubrovnik - the Dubrovnik Philharmonic. The initial aid and support for the development of the Dubrovnik Philharmonic was extended by its first conductor, Polish Tadeusz Sygietinski. The management of the Philharmonic was continued by Josip Vlach, while Vruticky systematized the orchestra’s work. The concerts became more frequent and better throughout diligent work and effort.

The Dubrovnik Philharmonic took a firm position in becoming inseparable from Dubrovnik’s public life. After World War II, the music was continued by twenty enthusiasts. The symphonic orchestra flourished in the 1950s, a time when the orchestra began to appear at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival as the only musical body. The Dubrovnik orchestra has changed conductors, musicians and soloist throughout its history, and has gradually gained more authority by the growing quality of its musical content. The Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra, as it is now called, gives weekly concerts in summer palace Crijevic-Pucic that is located close to the heart of the Old Town, surrounded by magnificent Renaissance Park. The rich repertoire includes musical works of world renown. The Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra has had the honor of performing with such world-famous conductors such as Zubin Meht, Kiril Kondrasin, Thomas Baldneer, Kurt Adler, Ernst Marzendorfer and with soloist such as Henryk Szeryng, Mstislava Rostropovic, David Ostraich, Montserrat Caballe, Ivo Pogorelic, and others. Age-wise, the ensemble has an ideal combination of both youth and experience. The majority of the musicians now playing in the Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra are from Dubrovnik. They are academy-educated musicians who gained their expertise at the Zagreb Academy of Music, while others continued their education at the well-known musical academies of Moscow, Leningrad, Vienna and Paris. The Dubrovnik orchestra also includes musical artists from Poland, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.