The National Philharmonic of Ukraine started its concerts seasons in 1863, when the Kiev Branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society (ERMS) was founded. At the beginning of the XIX century, the development of the musical art in Kiev assumes a great  importance.

Famous European musicians, as Franz Liszt and Weniawsky brothers, come with recitals to the famous Kiev Contract Fairs. Thus, the creation of the musical society turned out to be quite timely. Among its initiators and founders were such well known at that time public figures and musicians as R. Pfening, M. Lysenko, P. Seletsky, M. Bogdanov.