Feedback summer 2012
We have received lots of feedback – for which many thanks.
A questionnaire carried out according to the festival’s quality
charter revealed that the typical visitor was a woman (70% of
respondents) aged 50+ (87%), lived in the province of Uusimaa (42%),
and was an upper white-collar worker (31%) or an OAP (46%). She had
paid for her tickets herself (98%), attended 6–8 events for which a
charge was made (54%) and 1–2 free events (52%) and spent 4–8 days
(62%) and 4–7 nights (57%) in Kuhmo. She gave the festival the overall
grade of 9 or 10 out of 10 (81%) and intended to recommend it to a
friend (100%).
The respondents rated their satisfaction with the festival as follows,
on a scale of 1 to 5 in which
5 = excellent, 1 = poor, 0 = cannot say (n=193).
-
Repertoire 4.37
-
Performers/artists
4.63
-
Atmosphere 4.60
-
Value for money
4.17
-
Look of marketing
and other info material 4.01
-
Proficiency of
staff 4.48
-
Willingness of
staff 4.60
-
Festival
merchandise 3.68
-
Signposting to
venues 4.15
-
Accommodation 3.54
-
Restaurants 3.54
-
Average for all the
replies 4.19
These figures qualify the festival for inclusion in the Finnish
Tourist Board’s list of recommended destinations.
Not all the feedback was, however, entirely favourable; this is good,
because it tells us what we need to develop. Among the requests were
Fair Trade coffee at the festival sales points, artist-audience
meetings, and more contemporary music.
We
can already tell you that these wishes at least will certainly be met
next summer.
Respondents said they wished more of the concerts were in the Kuhmo
Arts Centre, but many may be surprised to know that the Centre is
already in maximum use during the festival. Although the festival
programme shows only 2–3 concerts a day at the Centre, the Centre is
in fact fully occupied each day from 6 in the morning to midnight.
Each concert requires a final rehearsal, time to tune instruments, and
to adjust the platform, lighting and sound systems.
The most glowing press reviews were in the Austrian music magazine
Festspiele and the Finnish Helsingin Sanomat. Festspiele ranked Kuhmo
among the world’s top 15 festivals for the fourth time. It also
published a three-spread article devoted to the festival in its spring
issue, under the heading
music
in the middle of nowhere. According to its writer, Kuhmo’s
strengths are its blue lakes, light nights, cosy atmosphere and unique
music.
Helsingin Sanomat in turn wrote: It can hardly come as news to
anyone that the standard of the Kuhmo Chamber Music concerts is so
high that it is seldom reached in Finland or anywhere else. Yet though
its reputation has become established with the passing of the decades,
the consistently high quality of the chamber music-making always comes
as a surprise.”
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