Kazushi Ono
As part of our collaboration with Maestro Arts we were asked to create a visual identity for this famous Japanese conductor.
Kazushi Ono is the definitive musical citizen of the world. He was born in Tokyo, studied in Munich and forged his early career in Zagreb, Karlsruhe and Tokyo. These influences shaped an inquiring and profound musical intellect and an ability to communicate meaning across languages and cultures. He enjoys deep and longstanding relationships with the finest orchestras around the world.
His passion and curiosity for repertoire take him to the standard classics but also to new music and he often commissions new orchestral works and operas. He is a vocal advocate for the role of culture in all our lives and works actively within the communities which his three orchestras serve.
The power of gesture
We had to start by learning a little bit about the art of conducting – what did each hand do, what did the actions mean and what were the unique moves that are connected with Kazushi.
He is from Japan so an obvious reference was the characters and calligraphic brush strokes created in traditional, hand-painted letterforms.
His name ONO was a bit of a gift. Symmetrical, short and something we were keen to explore as a workmark.
A unique rhythm
When we first presented our new wordmark Kazushi, it was a great moment when he acknowledged the rhythm of his name – 1-2-3-1-2-3 – something he had never seen before.
We also designed his new website and social media look and feel.
Only musician who doesn’t make a sound
Our new brand identity celebrates Ono’s craft as a conductor. We watched him conduct and were struck by how he gives the music shape and he feels the music throughout a performance. His hands tell the story of this craft.
And poignantly he is the only musician on stage that does not make a sound. He harnesses it for the rest of us to hear.
