The origin of SKO dates back to September 1984 when memorial concerts were held in remembrance of the great educator Hideo Saito on the tenth anniversary of his passing. Conductor Seiji Ozawa, who studied under Hideo Saito, organized more than a hundred of his fellow students including Kazuyoshi Akiyama for memorial concerts. This served as the foundation of what was to become SKO.

In 1987, SKO launched its first tour in Europe, followed by a second tour in 1989, and was lauded as “an astounding orchestra that arrived with Ozawa, whose performances were on par with the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic.” In 1990, SKO under the baton of Seiji Ozawa was invited to festivals throughout Europe including the Salzburg Festival. In 1991, it embarked on a world tour with stops in London, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, and New York. In 1992, Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture became the home of SKO, and the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival (formerly the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto) was launched. Opera and concert performances that capture worldwide attention have been held since every year.

SKO members are key musicians of major orchestras, soloists, chamber musicians, and educators in Europe, America, and Japan, and many have won awards at international contests. Each player is full of unique musicality, but their approach towards music that could be considered the “Ozawa spirit” is fostered by participating in SKO and it is as if they merge to become one living creature. These exceptional features are passed on to young musicians of the next generation, giving this orchestra a distinctive presence in the world.

SKO has released many recordings to date, and in 2016 won the 58th Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (Conductor Seiji Ozawa / Ravel L’enfant et les sortilèges).