Founded: 1937 - New York, USA Disbanded: 1954 This was a fabled orchestra specially constituted by David Sarnoff, chairman of RCA (which owned both RCA Victor Records and NBC radio) for conductor Arturo Toscanini. Offering the highest salaries of any orchestra at the time and a 52-week contract, NBC attracted top orchestral musicians: 21 of them were former section leaders of other orchestras. Artur Rodzinski was hired to train and mold the Orchestra to impeccable standards in anticipation of the leadership of Arturo Toscanini. The Orchestra took the air under Toscanini on Christmas day, 1937.