Since the late 20th century, transformation of the general environment has generated unprecedented challenges for symphony orchestras in Europe and America, such as audience development, fundraising, technology innovation, and market competition. Now, transplanted by the Western symphony orchestras, the symphony orchestras in Taiwan also face the most important task to deal with, and that is how to subsist. At the moment, professional symphony orchestras in Taiwan are mainly publicly-owned. The subject of this study will hence probe into the organizational legitimacy, organization positioning, and business strategy of publicly-owned symphony orchestras through analyzing both their external and internal environments as well as the results of in-depth interviews. On one hand, this study will provide an overview of the development of publicly-owned orchestras in Taiwan. On the other hand, it will offer new ways of thinking to orchestra managers and policy makers.