By Umer Nangiana

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar organised an event out of the ordinary for the Qatari and international business community in Doha at The Pearl recently. Italian opera singer Corrina Mologni enthralled a gathering of high profile guests comprising prominent businessmen, ambassadors from different countries along with their spouses and other dignitaries with her voice.
Mologni is an Italian soprano with twenty years of international experience in renowned theatres in France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Finland. She has featured in multiple radio and television shows in Europe and is currently based in Doha.
Singing and acting at the same time, Mologni performed multiple solo pieces. Speaking to Community, the singer acknowledged that it was difficult but she has been performing solo for over 30 years.
“It is very different and in a way it is very difficult. In an opera you have to act and there are a lot of different things to do and maybe in the whole evening you get one or two of these pieces that I was singing here,” said Mologni.
“But I tried to build the programme in a way that I do not get too tired towards the end. I know these pieces since I was a child,” she added, explaining how she managed to pull it off solo.
She was exceptional in harmonising facial expressions with her voice. “In time and with the technique you learn to separate the two things so that you can act and sing at the same time,” said the opera singer.
Mologni has been doing it for 30 years as a soloist. Initially starting with an orchestra, singing in the chorus, she gradually learned to perform solo and since then has been to different countries for concert. Mologni is originally from Milan, Italy where she was raised and studied at a conservatory.
“Then I moved to Finland and spent 11 years there. I was working with the Finnish national opera and there I learned to be on stage. Then I learnt to sing as a freelancer and since then I have been around the world before ending up in Doha two years ago,” said Mologni.
The opera night was organised at the unusual yet a stylish location of the new Maserati Show room at Viva Bahria, The Pearl. Among those in attendance were the ambassadors of Italy, Japan and Spain along with prominent businessman and the Chairman of Alfardan Group Hussein Alfardan.
“The choice of the location, a luxurious   automobile showroom initially seemed unconventional but worked out amazingly,” said Palma Libotte, the Chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
“I have noticed that Doha is offering more and more cultural entertainment to gratify the international community and this very positive trend will most certainly grow in parallel with the tremendous development that this country is experiencing,” she added.
Combining one of the favourite Italian brands for luxury cars Maserati to a refined luscious dinner and the performance of a soprano singer promoted a positive image of our beautiful country, Italy, said the chairperson of the Italian Chamber.
The Italian chamber, she added, is able to organise such events thanks to the support of its members like SaliniImpreglio, the contractor of the red line project, and other companies such as Marcegaglia, Tozzi, Augusta Westland, Anas and Rizzani De Eccher. She said these Italian companies have long-term business plans in the dynamic market of Qatar.
“We are pleased to partner with the Italian Chamber of Commerce bringing the Italian Culture to Doha. Maserati represents a fine segment of a proud and glorious Italian heritage and 2014 witnessed celebrating the 100th anniversary of the historic Italian marque, a century of pure Italian luxury sports cars,” said Charly Dagher, the General Manager of Alfardan Sports Motors, Official Maserati Importer in Qatar.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Qatar is planning to make the cultural-business get together an annual rendezvous, said Palma.