San Francisco Symphony Dynamic Typography

About the Work The San Francisco Symphony is a 108-year old international cultural touchstone with a deep legacy of rewriting the rules to advance the orchestral arts. The Symphony is transforming its previous programming approaches, subverting hierarchy in the industry through a DEI-focused organizational overhaul, and — in a move that stunned the global music community — has passed the baton to visionary conductor and composer, Esa–Pekka Salonen. Salonen’s drive to reposition classical music for the 21st century aligned with everything San Francisco and the organization stands for. Their blueprint is experimental, built upon a groundbreaking artistic leadership model: eight partners, from diverse disciplines: Bryce Dressner of The National, AI entrepreneur Carol Reiley, bassist Esperanza Spalding, classical vocalist Julia Bullock, experimental flutist Claire Chase, violinist Pekka Kuusisto and composer and pianist Nicholas Britell. We were invited to clarify, define, and express this new vision for the Symphony, and help them re-assert classical music as a crucial, global contemporary art form — while staying rooted in community and strengthening bonds that have made them so successful for over a century. An experimental, ever-responsive visual system brings to life the dynamic qualities of classical music itself. Traditional typography speaks to the art form’s heritage. Responsive and variable font technologies add an unexpected contemporary behavior — each typographic character morphs in reaction to the sound of music. We crafted a more expressive voice that juxtaposes the timeless formality of black and white with a contemporary palette inspired by the Bay Area. All designed to evoke the rich emotional range of symphonic music across an always-changing media and digital landscape.