Is there a diff? Marilyn Vos Savant says this:
None, really. Both of them play the same kind of music (baroque, classical, romantic, and modern) with the same instruments. The only difference, and it’s a slight one, is in the connotation of the names. “Philharmonic” sounds a bit more formal and implies that the orchestra arose from a society of music lovers. “Symphony” refers simply to the works that are played.
but then someone else replied with this:
Marilyn: I’m writing to add some information to your comments about the difference between a philharmonic orchestra and a symphony orchestra.(March 27, 2011) The historic difference between the two organizations lies in the financing when they were first formed. A symphony orchestra had fixed ticket pricing, and the musicians were paid contract rates. In a philharmonic orchestra, the audience contributed to an at-will donation and the amount that was collected was split among the musicians. Today, all orchestras use fixed ticketed pricing and musicians are paid at contract rates, so there is little difference between them other than their names.
These things I did not know. I’m still not sure I believe them.
