When Music Director Kwamé Ryan first saw the Charlotte Symphony's new visual identity, he felt it was "calling out for its own sound." That idea led to a collaboration with Grammy Award-winning composer Mason Bates, who created a Sonic Logo -- a short musical signature that captures the spirit of the Charlotte Symphony -- the first of its kind commissioned by an orchestra.  

Sonic logos are familiar in media and technology -- like Netflix's "ta-dum" -- but this commission represents a first in orchestral music. The Charlotte Symphony will use the new audio identity across digital platforms, broadcasts, media communications, and in the concert hall. 

The Sonic Logo premiered live on October 10, 2025 at the Classical Series opening concert, under the direction of Kwamé Ryan.

 

 

I wanted to convey a sense of magic and mystery...of individual instruments swirling together until they build to this kind of heroic fanfare. Even in just a few seconds, you experience a sense of excitement for what we're about to hear at the symphony.
-- Mason Bates 

With Mason's Sonic Logo, we are signaling that the CSO is deeply rooted in tradition while being attuned to how people experience sound today.
-- Kwamé Ryan 

Stay Tuned! You'll be hearing our new Sonic Logo across performances, broadcasts, and beyond. See what's coming up.


Logo animations created in collaboration with the Queens University of Charlotte Department of Art, Design, and Music: Dejah Entzminger '26 (Graphic Designer) and Melissa Gamez (Assistant Professor & Director of Graphic Design & Studio Art).