Over its nearly 50 years of activity, the orchestra has earned a significant reputation within the Polish music scene. Its musicians have been exposed to a variety of ensemble-leading methods and developed their own unique musical approach – one that combines emotional sound with textural clarity. These qualities are often praised by critics, who value the orchestra’s performances for their exceptional expressiveness.

From the very beginning, the ensemble has been led by outstanding violinists, including Karol Teutsch, Jan Stanienda and the long-time concertmaster Zbigniew Szufłat. Initially focusing heavily on Classical and even Baroque repertoire, the orchestra later expanded its scope to include 20th-century music. Under the direction of another distinguished artist, Ernst Kovacic, the ensemble began to explore lesser-known works from the 20th century. This mission has resulted in a number of acclaimed recordings in recent years, including albums featuring the music of Ernst Křenek (released by Capriccio and Toccata Classics) and Leoš Janáček (DUX), string arrangements of works by Alban Berg (Berg by Arrangement, Toccata Classics – named one of the year’s best recordings by The Sunday Times), and Bach’s Kunst der Fuge (CD Accord). The orchestra also received excellent reviews for two recent albums led by Christian Danowicz: Made in Poland (DUX) and Supernova (CD Accord), recorded in collaboration with Atom String Quartet and awarded the Fryderyk Awards in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, the ensemble released its first recording under the baton of Joseph Swensen, featuring works by Debussy and Tchaikovsky; this was nominated for a Fryderyk Award in 2021. From 2014 to 2017, the orchestra’s artistic director was violist and Berlin University of the Arts professor Hartmut Rohde, who focused on Romantic repertoire. Since September 2017, Joseph Swensen has served as artistic director, expanding the orchestra’s repertoire to include both classical and contemporary works. In September 2023, British violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky took over the role of artistic director. In March 2025, the orchestra performed on the stage of the National Forum of Music alongside artists from the Australian Chamber Orchestra, led by Richard Tognetti. The NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra is also the host of Leo Festival, launched in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of this Wrocław-based ensemble.

The orchestra has performed in some of Europe’s most prestigious concert halls, including the Barbican Centre in London, Philharmonie, Konzerthaus and Schauspielhaus in Berlin, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen, and Teatro Victoria Eugenia in San Sebastián. It has also appeared at leading European festivals, such as Muziekfestival West-Brabant (Netherlands), Bodenseefestival and Weilburger Schlosskonzerte (Germany), Echternach Festival (Luxembourg), Pablo Casals Festival and Festival du Périgord Noir (France), Festival Estoril Lisboa (Portugal) and Flanders Festival Ghent and Europalia (Belgium), as well as Poland’s own International Festival Wratislavia Cantans, Musica Polonica Nova, Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, and the Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music.

Commissions for the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra by the National Forum of Music include:

• Giovanni Sollima, Cello Chronicles for the Polish Cello Quartet and NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra (2025)
• Valentin Silvestrov, Moments of Memory VI (2025) – a joint commission by the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Scottish Ensemble
• Paweł Mykietyn, Krzyki for string orchestra (2002)
• Hanna Kulenty-Majoor, Concerto rosso for string quartet and string orchestra (2017)
• Grażyna Pstrokońska-Nawratil, ICE-LAND: Rainbow Bridges over Dettifoss for chamber orchestra (2012) and ...el condor... for two marimbas and string orchestra (1996) – both prepared for the Musica Polonica Nova festival.