Embarking on a new journey

How do you enable an orchestral art form to embrace both its legacy as well as its place in the present moment?  The San Francisco Symphony has always been at the leading edge in asking this question. With an adventurous approach to programming, leadership and educational initiatives, we remain focused on expanding the reach and meaning of the arts by continuing to question the status quo.  

Today, as we announce the first season of Esa-Pekka Salonen as Music Director of the San Francisco we look to build on the meaningful qualities of the art form while introducing new opportunities for enrichment and engagement among all our audiences. 

To signal this new dynamic direction, we commissioned San Francisco brand experience company, COLLINS, to help us build an evolved visual identity for the Orchestra. We invited them to find a way that honors our heritage while growing the dynamic direction of our art form and organization. We collaborated with COLLINS, our musicians, audiences, staff, executive leadership, and board members to define a shared vision for our visual identity, one which would become the foundation for creative and design experimentation.

Leveraging new creative technology including variable font design, our new visual language (of which the logo is just the beginning) will use typography itself to bring the essence of sound and music to life. The identity juxtaposes the traditional with the contemporary — introducing new, dynamic, behavior for classical letterforms. Our hope is to create a memorable visual expression as rich in emotional range as the music of the Symphony itself. 

With the full launch implemented by Fall 2020, audiences can expect more glimpses of the road ahead for our organization. Keep your eyes – and ears — open throughout the year.

Credits:
Visual Identity Design: COLLINS @thisiscollins
Variable Typography: Dinamo @abcdinamo