MusicNOW, a series of four new music concerts curated by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composers-in-Residence Samuel Adams and Elizabeth Ogonek, called for visuals no less compelling in their musicality. Thirst was happy to provide just that by creating unique illustrations for each concert, along with a graphic system for flyers, digital advertisements and on-screen content. A limited-edition poster—with offset lithography by Graphic Arts Studio, foil stamping by Artistry Engraving & Embossing Co., Inc. and generous support by Mohawk Fine Papers—further commemorated each concert illustration.

For each illustration, Thirst drew inspiration from the music program for the corresponding concert. The illustration for the concert On the Edge of Silence features a geometric abstraction of a violin, representing the world premiere of Ogonek’s violin concerto. Ear Taxi Festival celebrates a group of Chicago composers with a collage of architectural photography taken on a cellphone. Steve Reich’s 80th Birthday Celebration honors the legendary composer and his technique of phasing rhythms over time. And Illuminating Boulez is a tribute to the legendary French composer Pierre Boulez, whose featured illustration was constructed via computer algorithms generated by Boulez’s description of music as “a labyrinth, with no fixed route.”

All posters were given as gifts to donors and attendees before each concert, creating an experience that could be both seen and heard. 

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