There's a tradition in Argentina that orchestras organized and sponsored (orchestrated?) by a top official institution, are called Symphonic, and those more local to a city or theatre are called Philarmonic, perhaps as a consequence of their amateur origins, although they are now officially supported too. For example, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional (National Secretary of Culture), and Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires (of the same city).

Curiously, none of them play Opera. This genre is exclusive of the "Resident Orchestras" of the Opera Houses, for example Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colón, del Teatro Argentino de La Plata, etc. This may be for practical reasons. An Opera orchestra plays in a stage pit, the musicians see the director but not the singers, and the techniques are very particular.

Un abrazo, Andrés