Haletone Harmonica Orchestra was established in 1971, formerly being one of the interest groups of the Wong Tai Sin Community Centre Workgroups (now called Wong Tai Sin Family Support and Resources Centre) of Social Welfare Department. In the beginning, the Harmonica Orchestra was founded by several young harmonica enthusiasts in the form of small ensemble. In 1973, due to the rapid growth of members, its committee members decided to name the orchestra formally as “ Haletone Harmonica Orchestra ” . To promote the art of harmonica music and culture, in addition to taking part in cultural activities, performing voluntary performances and taking in new team members in the local community, the Harmonica Orchestra participated in TV performance programmes on invitation.

The Harmonica Orchestra focused on playing pop music at the time of inception. To heighten the performance techniques of team members, the famous harmonica soloist, Mr. Tsui Tak-Ming was invited to be the honorary advisor and instructor of the Orchestra in 1974. Since then, the Harmonica Orchestra has developed into a classical music orchestra and played a wide variety of music. The Harmonica Orchestra's repertoire was not only in western music but also included Chinese music. Thence, an aggressive reformation for the Harmonica Orchestra began.

Since 1976, the Harmonica Orchestra has been organising concerts more frequently to provide team members with more performing and practising opportunities, such as performing in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival. As a result, a number of members were awarded prizes in the competitions of the Music Festival.

Because of turnover of team members, the Harmonica Orchestra often kept on organizing harmonica training classes and training new members to maintain the size of the orchestra growing steadily. In order to cope with the increase in team members, the Harmonica Orchestra had to acquire more musical instruments for expansion in the future. In 1979, the Harmonica Orchestra conducted a large-scale public music concert. Consequent to this performance, the Harmonica Orchestra began to be recognized by the music world.

In 1980, in addition to chromatic harmonicas, the Harmonica Orchestra further introduced the timpani and other orchestra instruments, such as flute, oboe, bassoon, cello and double bass to enrich the Orchestra's performance standard. Such development represented a milestone for the Orchestra. The Harmonica Orchestra continued to organize performance concerts in 1980 and 1982. Being more experienced in concert performing, the Harmonica Orchestra held a large-scale public concert at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre in 1984. As a new attempt, the Harmonica Orchestra made a performance with chorus accompaniment at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall in 1985.

In order to enhance training of the harmonica classes , it published the first chromatic harmonica learning book in Hong Kong in 1985. After a lengthy test-run, in 1987 the first edition of the learning book for the harmonica classes was officially released.

Apart from promoting music art, the Harmonica Orchestra also frequently arranged leisure activities for members to foster team member's relationship . Moreover, it frequently participated in voluntary performances, as a contribution back to the society. The level of performance technique of the Harmonica Orchestra cannot be compared with professional orchestras because of its amateur nature. However, we would try our best in our performances and looking forward to all support and encouragement from the public.

Since 1973, the Harmonica Orchestra has been contributing to the society for over 30 years. Although its development was full of hardship and setbacks, as a result of the enthusiasm and endeavour of the team members, the Harmonica Orchestra continued to move forward. In 1983, the Harmonica Orchestra kept on recruiting new team members and making more developing plans. In 1999, the Harmonica Orchestra set up its own homepage, letting more people know of the harmonica team.

In 2002, the Harmonica Orchestra was registered as a volunteer group. It had more opportunities to provide multifarious voluntary services, like visiting and performing in elderly centres.

In the recent ten years, due to insufficient of manpower, the Harmonica Orchestra could only hold harmonica class occasionally and seldom sponsored activities. Fortunately, in early 2005, the incumbent Chairman Mr. Tsang Kim-kong returned to the orchestra and led the redevelopment of the harmonica team and enabled the orchestra to solicit strong support from the community. Breaking through the Wong Tai Sin District, the Harmonica Orchestra began to face the whole world and enabled more people in the community to appreciate harmonica music.

In recent years, the Harmonica Orchestra has held numerous performances in various activities at St. John the Baptist Parish, Kwun Tong, Chuk Yuen (South) Community Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Mount Davis Youth Hostel, Tai Mei Tuk Village Art Museum and Creative Arts Playground, etc.

In addition to the above, the Harmonica Orchestra has made voluntary performances in the Elderly Centre of the Hong Kong Society for the Aged, Caritas Match Jockey Club Service Centre and YMCA Elderly Centre.

Lately, the Harmonica Orchestra also organized harmonica certificate classes, in order to let people in the community gradually recognize the art of harmonica music.