Art Song Chicago
Where Poetry Meets Melody

Creative Direction: Michael Freimuth
Design: Chloe Farlow, Michael Freimuth

Identity
2025


Art Song is the only medium vocalists and pianists have to express poetry, their thoughts and feelings, musings on life, love, death, et cetera, musically. It matters that we create and harness spaces where feelings and emotions can be explored in music that branch beyond plots of books and stories (like in opera), and that there’s a home for reaction to what is happening in the world, a place where we can take the brilliant words of others and add new layers of depth and feeling.

Embodying the delicate balance between tradition and innovation in the classical music landscape, the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago was uniquely positioned to become a major player within its scene. However, the art form is profoundly under represented and supported. Without being poured into, it will become ever less present.

Together, we elevated the CAIC identity to represent a refined focus on their artistic mission: creating dynamic interplay between poetry and melody, historical repertoire and contemporary interpretation. Thus, Art Song Chicago was born. By orchestrating typography and musical elements that converge to create something greater than their individual parts (much like the art form itself), we built a brand that honors the organization’s history while equally celebrating its grand future ahead.