Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra’s Milestones during the Pandemic
If the pandemic could be summarised in one word, it would be life-changing. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has halted the world’s economy, and it is a situation unlike any other. Until today, the effects of the pandemic are still present in our community. Many companies have had to adapt to survive the situation, and that includes the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).
The MPO was still conducting its weekly live concerts up until Mar 2020, its last being Power & Poetry concert with pianist Mikhail Pletnev and conductor Fabio Mechetti before the Malaysian government enforced the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb COVID-19 infection. The order caused all live concerts to be either cancelled or rescheduled to an unspecified date. With all live concerts on hiatus, the MPO ramped up its digitalisation efforts and quickly pivoting its focus on digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as a way to still provide the best music performances to the public.
The digitalisation effort started in Mar 2020 with a campaign called MPO At Home – a digital campaign comprising of a series of short videos featuring the MPO and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) performing virtually from the comfort and safety of their homes. The campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public. Its most popular videos: MPYO’s Star Wars and MPO’s Tanah Pusaka, garnered over 3 million views on Facebook, over 39,000 views on Instagram and over 61,000 views on MPO’s YouTube channel, MPO TV. The campaign was also featured in many local news outlets and made headlines in Singaporean and Indonesian news outlets as well.
MPYO Star Wars
It was then followed by two collaboration projects in August, held in conjunction with Malaysia’s National Day celebration. The first collaboration was with Orkestra RTM & the National Symphony Orchestra for Konsert Bangkit Malaysia, and the second being with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to produce Malaysia’s Virtual National Day 2020 Reception Concert. In addition to the former being broadcasted on a national television channel, both concert videos were uploaded on Facebook and YouTube on 31 Aug 2020 and have since garnered a total of over 65,000 views for Konsert Bangkit Malaysia and over 1.5 million views for Malaysia’s Virtual National Day 2020 Reception Concert. As a result of these achievements, the collaborations were featured in prominent local news outlets such as New Straits Times, TV3, Astro Awani and many more.
MOFA x MPO – Malaysian Virtual National Day Reception Concert
Konsert Bangkit Malaysia
In the same year, the MPO launched MPOPlaysOn – a digital exclusive series featuring several new full-length and chamber concerts by the MPO performing wonderful selections of classical music and several pre-concerts talk shows hosted by MPO’s Resident Conductor, Gerard Salonga. These digital contents were pre-recorded and made available on MPO TV starting from Sep 2020. As of today, there are a total of 18 videos in the series and has since received great responses from the public, garnering a total of over 32,000 views.
MPO PlaysOn
In Dec 2020, the MPO announced that renowned German conductor, Maestro Jun Märkl has been appointed as the MPO’s new Music Director. Märkl commenced his tenure from the beginning of the 2021 Season, and his appointment ushers in a new era for the MPO. As the Music Director, Märkl will lead an organisation that includes the MPO and MPYO and will work closely with the Management on the artistic planning, programming and music education activities. This news delighted local and international fans alike, with the appointment featured in several international classical music news websites including those from Japan and Spain.
Following the nation’s MCO relaxed measures in the second quarter of 2021, the MPO finally launched its 2021 season in April after a year of absence from live performance. It began with a private chamber concert by the MPO ensemble on 10 Apr 2021, which received tremendous feedback from the public. The concert was held as a gesture of appreciation to the loyal subscribers of the MPO who continue to support the orchestra, whilst maintaining strict safety measures as regulated by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH). The concert was then followed by a series of full-fledged MPO concerts throughout April and May 2021. The MPO’s comeback was greatly welcomed by the public, with its news featured in several local news outlets such as The Star, New Straits Times and Free Malaysia Today.
QR Code Scanning
Joshua Vonderheide (left), Matthew Prendergast (middle) & Tan Su Yin (right)
Akiko Danis (Piano) & Sergio Pacheco (Trumpet)
Despite facing all of the challenges and obstacles of the pandemic, the MPO is still as committed as ever to showcase timeless and inspiring performances to its fans and the public. We look forward to what the future will bring and strive to continue to deliver high-quality performances that the MPO is known for.
Visit www.mpo.com.my or check out the MPO social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) for any latest updates.