Symphony Australia

Symphony Australia is the peak national support body for all six state symphony orchestras. One of its main roles is the development of student performers, composers and conductors through a series of programs which provide educational and performance opportunities for young artistic achievers.

Early in 1997, we were commissioned to redesign all the printed material for their Artist Development Programs – the Conductors Courses and the Young Performers Awards. This involved such items as course outlines, information booklets, application forms, press advertising and concert programs.

Whilst the client gave us a relatively free hand, there were practical constraints which required specific design solutions. The very nature of the programs meant that there was a lack of usable photographs of the participants. This really only left us with some head shots and pictures of instruments. The challenge was to use such limited source material to create designs which conveyed the excitement and indeed the ‘life’ of the music. We developed an aesthetic in which orchestral instruments, etc. were manipulated to the extent that they ‘became alive’.

By solving this simple design issue, however, we generated a unique and identifiable visual language for all the Artist Development Program material. We have progressively built on this language to establish an identity for all the programs.

Symphony Australia has been one of our most supportive and creatively rewarding clients over the last eight years, and we continue to enjoy an ongoing association with them.