The orchestras of America are headed by the "Big Five," after which come all the others. They are so well known that just the names of the cities get a nod of affirmation: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Philadelphia.
The same phenomenon holds true in Japan, where it's a "Big Three," NHK, Tokyo-to and Yomiuri, that have access to the largest operating budgets and the foremost international names.
In Europe, the list begins with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic, to which might be added the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the London Symphony.