Founded in 1981, with the hard work of a succession of mayors, KCSO experienced steady growth. In 1986, KCSO invited former associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Henry Mazer to conduct the orchestra, which later on underwent expansion. And in 1991, the orchestra was renamed into Kaohsiung City Experimental Symphony Orchestra, a change from an amateur ensemble to a professional one. In 1993, Hsiao Pang-hsiang became the conductor and in 1999, Chen Shu-Si succeeded as the General Director of the orchestra. In 2000, Kaohsiung City Music Center was completed and became home to the orchestra, which at the same time was officially changed into the Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, the KCSO Foundation of Orchestra, Culture, Art, and Education was set up and KCSO became Taiwan’s first professional performing group that is supported altogether by the foundation, government, and local enterprises.

In July 2007, in an open selection, Chu Hung-chang was elected as the general director of KCSO. In April 2009, Mayor Chen Chu renamed the foundation as the Kaohsiung City Philharmonic Culture and Arts Foundation, in order to promote its functions. The foundation even became public-owned, with Shih Che, the director-general of Cultural Affairs Bureau, as the president. It is expected that the society can become more involved in musical and cultural events and that the orchestra can enjoy sustainable development.
 
For the past few years, KCSO has cooperated with several world renowned groups and artists, including Jose Carreras, Canadian Royal Winnipeg Ballet, English National Ballet, the Canadian “funny” soprano Natalie Choquette, Italian violin virtuoso Salvatore Accardo, Swedish guitarist of the neo-classical genre Yngwie Johann Malmsteen, US pop and classical music conductor Erich Kunzel, Argentina’s iconic musicians Alicia Terzian and Raefel Gintoli, Japanese violin virtuoso Reiko Watanabe, the Chinese piano poet Fu Tsong, renowned Taiwanese violin virtuosi Lin Cho-Liang and Hu Nai-yuan. KCSO has also accompanied for local performing groups, such as Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwanese Opera, Neo-Classic Dance Company, Kaohsiung City Ballet, and Spring Wind Art Theatre.  In 2008, KCSO had toured Nanking, Shanghai and Qingdao, which is an achievement among major domestic professional orchestras. It also initiated the outdoor full-version performances of orchestral Taiwanese operas, attracting nearly thirty thousand person-times. In 2008, it was invited to perform at the inaugural ceremony of the president and vice-president. The diversified performing styles have generated great admiration.
 
 In 2009, KCSO took a big step forward on an international basis. In January, the first outdoor large scale multi-media orchestra concert was held with Tan Dun, a winner of an Oscar and Grammy Awards for Best Original Score, as the conductor. This concert attracted more than twenty thousand audience. In March, Bravo Macstro Macal, performed by the former head conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Zdenek Macal, the Taiwanese-American violinist, Keng-Yuen Tseng, and several outstanding local musicians, created a sensation with the tickets of two performances sold out in three weeks, setting a record in Kaohsiung’s art circle. In April, KCSO was invited to perform in Esplanade Theatres in Singapore and was unanimously admired by the media there. In May, piano concertos were performed in collaboration with the conductor Wen-Pin Chien and the first prize winner of the Frederick Chopin International Piano Competition, “Piano Prodigy” Yundi Li. In June, the Butterfly Lovers 50th Anniversary Concert and the cross-disciplinary Jazz Music Concert Gershwin-Rhapsody in Blue were held. In July, it performed in collaboration with Russell Watson and Hayley Westenra at the Opening Ceremony of the Kaohsiung World Games. In August, it performed with the master cellist Mischa Maisky. In November, it performs with the genius violinist Shlomo Mintz, presenting Paganini, Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms.
 
In addition to regular performances, the orchestra also holds outdoor concerts in communities, mini concerts in elementary schools, and pupil concerts, thereby earning great popularity among the citizens, pupils and teachers.