Toronto Symphony Orchestra Reveals a Refreshed Brand Inspired by the City It Serves
Inspired by Toronto’s energy, diversity, and the moments that bring people together, the new visual identity celebrates an orchestra that continues to evolve alongside the people it serves.
TORONTO, ON—The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) today unveiled a refreshed brand identity that reflects its evolution as one of Canada’s leading cultural institutions and its enduring role in the cultural life of Toronto.
Watch the Brand Launch Short Film (1:31)*
Coinciding with the public on-sale of tickets for the 2026/27 season on July 15, the new identity reflects an orchestra shaped by Toronto—its diversity, creativity, energy, and constant evolution. It honours the history of a 300-year-old art form while expressing the 21st-century orchestra the TSO has become.
The brand refresh builds on a decade of organizational growth. Over the past several seasons, the TSO has welcomed record numbers of first-time ticket buyers, achieved its strongest subscription growth in more than a decade, expanded its artistic and community impact across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and strengthened its national and international profile through touring and recordings. Today, the TSO presents more than 120 performances each year featuring artists and composers from across cultures and musical traditions; reaches more than 40,000 students annually through its education programs; and delivers initiatives that support health and well-being, welcome Neurodiverse audiences, and celebrate the many communities that make up Toronto.
To better understand its impact and how to deepen it, the TSO undertook an extensive research and discovery process that informed the development of its refreshed brand. Working with research firm Slover Linett, the TSO surveyed its existing community of patrons, donors, and subscribers, as well as culturally active residents from across the GTA, to better understand perceptions of the TSO, its role within the community, and the concert experience. The findings were complemented by additional brand perception and intent research from Unity Insights, which explored awareness and future attendance intent across the Toronto region.
The research revealed a clear opportunity. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra was widely admired for its artistic excellence and recognized as an important part of Toronto’s cultural life. Yet for many people who had not experienced the orchestra firsthand, it still felt prestigious but not necessarily personal. The opportunity was not to change what the TSO is, but to better express who it is—and invite more people to see themselves within it.
The result is an identity that celebrates artistic excellence while helping more people connect with the TSO’s story and experience the emotional power of live orchestral music together.
“Everything we do is about creating experiences that inspire, move, and bring people together through music,” said Mark Williams, Beck Family CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “That purpose hasn’t changed. This work gives us a stronger foundation for the future—strengthening our connection with longtime audiences while inviting new generations to experience the TSO.”
At the heart of the refresh is a simple belief: live orchestral music offers something that cannot be replicated on a screen—a shared experience created in real time between musicians and audiences. That belief continues to shape the orchestra’s artistic vision, its audience experience, and, now, the way it expresses itself to the world. The visual identity gives expression to that idea, reflecting the TSO’s role as both a world-class orchestra and an essential part of Toronto’s civic and cultural life.
Inspired by the movement, emotion, and energy of live performance, the visual identity brings the orchestra’s story to life through a flexible visual system. At its heart is a dynamic interpretation of the “S” in “Symphony,” expressing the movement and responsiveness of live music. Bold, round graphic elements inspired by musical notation create a striking visual language that is both unmistakably musical and distinctly modern. These are supported by vibrant photography and a pairing of classic serif and contemporary sans serif typefaces, reflecting both the orchestra’s heritage and its forward-looking spirit, creating a cohesive experience across all audience touchpoints.
The project was developed in collaboration with Toronto-based branding agency Underline Studio, which created the orchestra’s visual identity, logo, and graphic system. Creative studio Good Form partnered with the TSO to develop the brand voice, messaging framework, and launch communications, helping bring the brand to life across audience and staff experiences.
“The refreshed identity builds on the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s rich heritage, capturing the energy and openness of the orchestra through a dynamic visual language that remains grounded in its artistic legacy,” said Fidel Peña, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Underline Studio. “Our goal was to create an identity that can evolve alongside the organization—one that feels timeless, expressive, and ready to support the TSO’s next chapter.”
The new visual identity will be introduced across digital platforms, publications, and audience experiences throughout the 2026/27 season, introducing a new expression for an orchestra that continues to grow alongside the city it proudly serves.
*[Video Caption] Brand Launch Film: Introducing the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s refreshed brand. Featuring Music Director Gustavo Gimeno, the film celebrates the connection between the orchestra and the city it serves, tracing a story of emotion, belonging and the moments that bring people together.
- Brand Identity: Underline Studio
- Creative Direction, Storyboard & Edit: Good Form
- Footage: Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Juniper Island
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About the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has been a defining part of Toronto’s cultural landscape. Through concerts, recordings, tours, and community partnerships, the TSO is shaped by the energy, diversity, and creativity of one of the world’s most multicultural cities. Led by Music Director Gustavo Gimeno, the TSO brings orchestral music to life through performances that span centuries of repertoire, champion today’s composers, and connect audiences with extraordinary artists from around the world. With programs and partnerships across the GTA, the TSO serves Toronto through education initiatives, Relaxed Performances, open rehearsals, and the tuition-free Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, which has helped young people build artistry, confidence, and lifelong skills through music for more than 50 years. The TSO’s work is sustained by a community of audiences, donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters who believe in the power of live orchestral music to bring people together. Each year, the TSO presents more than 120 concerts at Roy Thomson Hall and George Weston Recital Hall, while its education, health-and-well-being, and community programs reach people throughout the GTA. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.
About Underline
Underline Studio is a strategic branding and design agency based in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2005 by Claire Dawson and Fidel Peña, the multi-disciplinary firm is known for clean, thoughtful, and purpose-driven design across print and digital media. They work with a wide range of clients—from non-profits and cultural organizations to corporate brands—designing brand identities, publications, packaging, and websites. Underline has received more than 500 national and international design awards, including being named Design Studio of the Year twice by the Advertising & Design Club of Canada. underlinestudio.com.
About Good Form
Good Form is a design and animation studio made up of a close-knit team of creative people who apply their distinct skill sets and shared tastes to design, branding, and animation projects of all shapes and sizes. With offices in Toronto and Halifax, you’re as likely to find us sipping coffee on Queen East as skipping stones at the shore. goodform.studio.
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Media Contact
For media requests please contact:
Tat Read, Senior Director, Brand & Communications
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Visit Newsroom.TSO.CA