Royal Philharmonic Orchestra illustrations – Project Background
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) was founded in 1946 to provide a permanent home for the finest British musicians. Today, the RPO stands as a world leader in orchestral music, performing around 200 concerts a year. They reach over 60 million people globally, both live and online. The orchestra embraces a broad range of music, from classical masterpieces to film and video game soundtracks. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, the RPO continues to captivate diverse audiences worldwide.
Toop Studio worked closely with the RPO to create a series of illustrations to promote their new season, Lights In The Dark, for 2025.
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2025 season at the Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall celebrates resilience and unity through music. Featuring works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky, among others, the season will highlight how composers transformed adversity into timeless masterpieces. Soloists like Maxim Vengerov and Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will join, promising powerful performances that connect us all.
The concept behind the illustrations
The illustration approach for the 2025 season draws on our work for the 2024 Season (scroll down to view). The client and I discussed various iconic themes around the seasons’ stories and composers.
Some of these themes along with their corresponding composers include:
Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring ballet, 1913
Bartók & Rachmaninov – Emigration & Niccolo Paganini who was said to have sold his soul to the devil
Shostakovich – The Siege of Leningrad, Second World War
Chopin & Mussorgsky – Polish folk art & mountain, witches’ Sabbath
Sibelius & Stravinsky – Violin for Sibelius Concerto & Stravinsky’s Firebird
Tchaikovsky & Florence Price – Russian inner torment, stormy skies & Price at the piano
Shadric Toop, June 2024
