The interview of the month

We meet Giacomo Mariotti, Head of the Press and Communication Office. 

1. Can you tell us about your professional experience before joining ROF?

I have always loved writing and, as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to do something with writing. I started, as almost everyone does in Pesaro, with basketball, which in our city is not the main sport, but a religion. I was a radio journalist, then I worked for newspapers and specialised magazines. My first experience as a press officer was in industry sector, then in 1994 I started working in the music sector at the Ente Concerti in Pesaro. In the same year I began to work in the same capacity for the Pesaro women’s volleyball team, which at that time was playing in the minor leagues and then established itself nationally and internationally. From that moment I started my career as a press officer in the world of music, culture and sport.

2. What was your first contact with the Festival? 

My father Gianfranco was its founder and director since 1980, so the contact was immediate and inevitable. In August 1994 I had the opportunity to work as an assistant in the Press Office, under the direction of Simona Barabesi. I repeated this experience for the following two festivals. In 1996, a real office secretariat was set up to assist the Press Officer, and then I began to work permanently at the Festival throughout the calendar year. In 2017 I became the Head of the office. Simona Barabesi was the best boss I could have had: her example and generosity were indispensable in my career.

3. You are in charge of the Press and Communication Office. Could you explain what your job involves?

When I am asked to explain my job, I always answer with a question: do you know what a journalist does? Well, I do the opposite: the journalist looks for news, the press office hides it. I’m joking, of course, but not really. The press office maintains relations with the media, provides them with material (texts, photos, videos, news in general), creates content. The digital age has broadened the scope of the work: websites, social media and everything related to online communication have taken on enormous importance and have also revolutionised the way information flows. In short, the press office is an intermediary between the client it works for and the world of information, and its aim is to communicate its work as well as possible.

4. What is your favourite memory of your experience at ROF?

I love my job and I have to admit that I enjoy it most in the summer when the pace of work becomes frenetic. During the festival in August, I have the opportunity to meet many colleagues and develop relationships that become true friendships over the years. That is why, when I am asked to mention one of my favourite memories of the Festival, the first thing that comes to mind is the letter sent to me years ago by the wife of a Japanese colleague, a very loyal visitor to the ROF, announcing the death of her husband: “At his funeral, at his express wish, excerpts from Il viaggio a Reims were played. I wanted to inform you personally of his passing because it was with you, in Pesaro, that he spent the best summers of his life”.

Published in : 25 June 2024