The Bernese Orchestral Society, known in German as the Bernische Musikgesellschaft (BMG), is a long-standing musical institution in Bern, Switzerland. Its visual identity is closely tied to the Berner Symphonieorchester (Bern Symphony Orchestra), which it helped establish in 1977 together with the Bernischer Orchesterverein, an organization founded in 1877.[1]
Design and History
The Bernese Orchestral Society’s logo is attributed to Swiss graphic designer Adolf Flückiger (1917–1998). Flückiger, a Zurich-born designer trained at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts under Alfred Willimann, opened his own graphic design studio in Bern in 1943.[2] He created a wide range of graphic works, including distinctive logos (Signete), for clients such as the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) and humanitarian institutions.[3]
The logo appears in the visual record of the Bern Symphony Orchestra, which operates today as part of Bühnen Bern, the multi-venue performing arts organization that adopted that name in 2021.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented descriptions of the Bernese Orchestral Society’s logo are scarce. [5]
Typography and Design
Flückiger’s design approach is broadly characterized by a constructive-abstract style, particularly visible in his exhibition posters for the Kunsthalle and Kunstmuseum Bern, where he combined abstract composition with representational elements.[2] However, applying this characterization to the orchestra’s logo itself would require confirmation from a source that specifically addresses the mark.
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