The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Kwamé Ryan. Photo by Genesis Photography.
In Sunday’s (10/13) Herald (Rock Hill South Carolina), Adam Bell writes, “When maestro Kwamé Ryan first looked at the redesigned logo for the Charlotte Symphony last year, he not only liked what he saw but something about it really struck a chord with him, too…. It wasn’t a specific sound, he said, but rather ‘a sound that would embody the excitement of that moment and also the strong sense of purpose and inspiration at that moment.’… The Charlotte Symphony commissioned Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates to devise a brief musical signature called a sonic logo for the orchestra. Ryan believes this is the first time a U.S. orchestra has used a sonic logo. The logo, which comes in a five-second and a 30-second version, debuted over the weekend at the start of the orchestra’s 2025-26 classical season … Queens University of Charlotte’s Department of Art, Design, and Music animated the logo to go along with the sound…. Bates told Ryan he had ‘never been so excited to write five seconds of music.’ … Ryan expects the orchestra will use the sonic logo to herald the start of its new season, when someone is about to make a speech at a concert and other occasions.” The article includes a sound clip of the sonic logo.
