Members: Виктор Барсов

First steps were done in establishing in 1930 the "Государственный ансамбль белорусских народных инструментов" (State Ensemble for Byelorussian Folk Instruments). After the Great Patriotic War the Orchestra was 1946 reestablished named "Государственного народного оркестра БССР", respectively "Государственный Белорусский народный оркестр" and/or other variations.
1987 the name was extented in adding "Академический" (Academic).
From 1946 on the head of the Orchestra was Иосиф Иосифович Жинович, who did this for almost 30 years until he passed in 1974. Since 1975 to this day Михаил Козинец is the head of the Orchestra.

Today the official name of the Orchestra is:
Национальный академический народный оркестр Республики Беларусь им. И.Жиновича