Tom Hawkey and Kathryn Lewek in Handel’s Orlando (photo: Rosie Hastie)
Visitor number, ticket sales and attendances all doubled
The second annual Hobart Baroque festival has recorded exceptional results and strengthened Tasmania’s growing reputation as a cultural destination.
Over eight and a half thousand tickets were sold for Orlando, the opera centrepiece of the festival, concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Antipodes, five evening recitals at the Town Hall and a special event at MONA. In addition, all five of the special 5x5x5@5 late afternoon concerts at the Town Hall were sold out with standing ovations for the local performers who participated. And the free Masterclass at Government House, for which tickets were allocated by ballot, was also filled by local music lovers.
An impressive 41% of attendees came from outside Tasmania. Most stayed for a minimum of three nights and some extended their stay to explore other parts of the state.
The response of both the public and the media has been overwhelming. It’s impossible to put a monetary value on the phenomenal national media coverage Hobart Baroque attracted.
Print media around the country including all the major metropolitan newspapers ran substantial features and reviews that were overwhelmingly positive. Of special note was the support from ABC Classic FM whose support took Hobart Baroque to a national audience. That support is ongoing with the introduction of an Australia-wide on-air competition to identity the Top 100 most popular pieces of Baroque music. This promotion runs for the next three months.
While most visitors came from Sydney and Melbourne, Hobart Baroque attracted tourists from Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, Bathurst, Woollongong, Canberra, Geelong and Newcastle as well. Visitors also flew in from New Zealand and Los Angeles.
Steven Godbee, www.facebook.com/StevenGodbeePublicityPhotography
