Greatest Orchestra of our Current Day

What American orchestra do you believe is at the forefront in leading in musical creation today (let's say around 2010 and on). Let's consider this means we are talking about which orchestra is creating the most excitement in attracting guest conductors and artists, excitement in consistent extraordinary performance, commissioning of brilliant works, harvesting of associate conductors, harvesting a musical atmosphere of creation and fostering of future conductors and composers and musicians, most excitement in their respective communities, etc. What do you believe to be the best orchestra, but also the best organizations? Did I list the right orchestras? Do you agree with that list or do you think I got it all wrong? Do you have one to add to the list of tops or do you think I left the absolute best out? How do you think America is doing in the musical world? Do you think we fair well against the rest of the world? Discuss.

@bkho Who is your top pick for best American Symphony/Orchestra? What do you disagree with on my list of choices?

Have to go with my hometown Boston Symphony Orchestra though I'm of course biased as they are the only world class orchestra I've seen in concert live more than a few times.  Also Cleveland Orchestra is a pretty big omission from your list.  All in my humble opinion of course.

I think we more than hold our own, though the Royal Concertgebouw and Berlin Philharmonic remain the cream of the crop.

Ok, fair, I could have put Boston on. They literally just got a brand new conductor and musical director. Never heard of him before I discovered that. I am not so sure about the current Cleveland Orchestra. I think the big five are not what they used to be. I think Chicago is still happenin'. However, I went to a performance in New York at Avery Fischer Hall. I am used to my hometown Kansas City Symphony in our new Helzberg Hall. I am used to enthusiastic audience members and packed houses. I was less thrilled with the NYP then I was with what we have going on in Kansas City. I think that is the case nowadays. There are some great small town symphony orchestras and they seem to program better, have more enthusiastic musicians and more enthusiastic audiences. To me there seems to be less of an assumed attitude of greatness and superiority and more of an attitude of  "wow, we are actually pretty great and people really love to come hear great music" - an excitement about being great and people loving what they hear. The big ones just assume that they should get heaps of praise and they are frankly worn out on always doing what they do and supposedly being what they are. They are not alive. Kansas City would have been my other choice. I am thrilled with Robert Spano and what he is doing with commissioning in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. However, same goes for my hometown hero Michael Stern. 

Oh this is a toughie! All of the above orchestras are..."good", but each orchestra is lacking in one or more of the categories listed in your original question. So to answer your question, I've narrowed it down to three orchestras that I think have had consistent quality level of performance, AND fresh programming that explores and encourages new works, AND involvement in the community. In no particular order, they are: New York Phil, Los Angeles Phil, and San Francisco Symphony. 

I think the following should also be on your list for the poll: as bkho mentioned, Boston Symphony and Cleveland (both are a little old-school, but they sound amazing); Pittsburgh Symphony (a little old school too); Detroit Symphony (hometown orchestra, so a little biased, but they've been doing cool things lately);  and the St. Louis Symphony.

As to the "Greatest Orchestra of the Day" around the globe...Berlin Philharmonic (with Vienna Phil and Concertgebow tied for 2nd place)

I liked the Saint Louis Symphony under Leonard Slatkin a whole lot. I don't know as much about it since then. I would agree with the LA Phil. I really like Gustavo Dudamel. Don't know much about Detroit. Michael Tilson Thomas is great too. If I had to say that the big 5 are dropping off and going out of style and replace them with new orchestras then LA PHIL would certainly be in it. I would put Atlanta in it. I am not sure the program in Atlanta has been big enough long enough, but I just cannot help give a nod to Atlanta and Robert Spano. I think he is one of the major leaders in the whole music world right now. I absolutely love him. 

Another question to be asked in this discussion is if you think the whole form of art and entertainment of symphony orchestras is dying and a lot of the big ones will not be able to survive or if you see a future where there is a resurgence particularly because of actual new and exciting music that comes out that actually attracts people that otherwise wouldn't find themselves at the symphony actually going to the symphony (whew what a run on sentence!)