The Warsaw String Orchestra was established in 1992 under the direction of Professor Mirosław Ławrynowicz. It has since been led by Bogusław Bruczkowski, Marek Zebura, and Andrzej Gębski, and has been under the artistic direction of violinist and conductor Maksym Dondalski since 2020.
The ensemble comprises outstanding young string players from the elite Zenon Brzewski Secondary Music School, part of the State Music Schools Complex No. 1 in Warsaw, located on Rakowiecka Street.
The orchestra plays an active role in the artistic life of both the school and the city. It has performed on numerous occasions at the National Philharmonic, the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, and the Grand Hall of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The ensemble has also appeared across Poland and internationally, with highlights including the 19th Youth Orchestras Festival in Murcia (Spain), the Youth Orchestras Festival in Belfort (France), concerts at the Conservatory of Bern, and a performance in the prestigious UNESCO Hall in Paris for the closing concert of the 11th International Miłosz Magin Piano Competition. Other notable engagements include concerts at the Paris Conservatoire, the 32nd and 40th International Marschner Festivals (Germany), the 15th Anniversary Concert of the Streichakademie in Goch (Germany), and the 20th Jubilee Conversatorium Organ Festival in Legnica.
The orchestra has also featured in the 10th Witold Lutosławski Forum at the National Philharmonic and the International Musica Sacra Festival in Warsaw. It regularly participates in the International Music Courses in Łańcut and has performed at the Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów, earning consistent acclaim from critics and prominent figures in the music world.
Numerous recordings have been made for Polish Radio and Television. Albums released by Acte Préalable include All Works for String Orchestra and Violin Concerto by Romuald Twardowski, as well as a Violin Concerto by Naji Hakim and other repertoire.
In the coming season, the orchestra is scheduled to perform at the NOSPR concert hall in Katowice.