The orchestra was originally housed in a clubhouse on the slopes of Punchbowl. From 1996 to 2004, the orchestra was under the direction of conductor
Samuel Wong. In August 2007,
Andreas Delfs became principal conductor of the orchestra and led seven concerts per season in the orchestra's Halekulani Masterworks series. In 2009–2010, the Honolulu Symphony faced significant financial challenges and ceased operations following bankruptcy proceedings. In 2011, a group of Hawaiʻi community leaders acquired the orchestra’s assets and relaunched the organization under the name
Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, resuming performances later that year.
JoAnn Falletta was appointed artistic director, and Steven Monder, former executive director of the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, was appointed president. In 2014, the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra introduced the
musicthatPOPS concert series, featuring popular and multimedia programming alongside its classical offerings. Falletta later assumed the title of Conductor Emeritus.
Ignace Jang is the orchestra’s current
concertmaster. ==Conductors==