The orchestra was founded in 1945 as Variety Orchestra of Leningrad Radio (rus. Эстрадный Оркестр Ленинградского Радио).
Since 1978 new principal conductor S. Gorkovenko included symphonic repertoire. At 1981 orchestra’s name was Variety-Symphony Orchestra of Leningrad Radio and Television named after V. P. Solovyov-Sedoi ( Эстрадно-Симфонический Оркестр Ленинградского Телевидения И Радио имени В. П. Соловьева-Седого).
In 2001 orchestra was renamed as Governor’s Orchestra of St. Petersburg (Губернаторский симфонический оркестр Санкт-Петербурга)
Conductors:
1945-1952 — Николай Минх / Nikolai Minkh
1952(?)-1978 — Александр Владимирцов / Alexander Vladimirtsev
Since 1978 - Станислав Горковенко / Stanislav Gorkovenko