Mason Bates Creates Sonic Logo for Charlotte Symphony

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Music Director Kwamé Ryan will debut the Orchestra’s new Sonic Logo, commissioned from Grammy Award-winning composer Mason Bates, at the opening concerts of its 2025–26 Classical Series on Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knight Theater. 

The Sonic Logo — a brief musical signature created to accompany the Symphony’s refreshed brand identity unveiled last year — represents a groundbreaking first in orchestral branding.

Bates, one of the most widely performed living American composers and a Grammy Award winner for his opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, described the audio logo as an attempt to “capture both the excitement and depth of emotion of Kwamé Ryan and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.” 

Sonic logos are familiar in media and technology — from Netflix’s “ta-dum” to NBC’s iconic three chimes — 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. Both a 30-second and a 5-second version will be made available to press following the premiere.