‘Italian – Language of Music’ transcends borders at Katara

Doha witnessed an enchanting evening yesterday as three renowned maestros presented a unique and engaging performance to mark the “Italian – Language of Music” at Katara – the Cultural Village.
The event, organised by the Italian embassy in Qatar in collaboration with Katara and the European Delegation in Doha, forms part of the six-week European Language activities series that will conclude on June 20.
David Riccardo (opera singer), Giovanni Pasini (first viola and director at Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra) and Alessio Mastrodonato (pianist) immersed the audience in a rich tapestry of notation, musical instruments and lyrics, presenting a one-of-a-kind show.
The musicians’ conversations, electrifying performances, and interactive elements spanned centuries, taking spectators on a captivating journey from the Renaissance to the contemporary era.
Speaking at the event, Italian ambassador Paolo Toschi highlighted the fascinating history of Italian art and creativity, saying: “Tonight we are talking about Italian, Italiano, a language that I have the pride to use and to present with my co Italians but also with my fellow friend from all over the world.”
“Italian is a language that has evolved over centuries to a large degree because of poetry and music,” he continued, “and some of the most important traces of Italian as we know it today go far back, 900 years ago to the 1300s and 1400s, and they are really connected to music and poetry.”
The envoy thanked Katara, the Katara Public Diplomacy Centre, his friends and colleagues from the Diplomatic Corps, as well as other guests for attending the occasion.
In a press statement, Katara general manager Prof Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti said: “As a continuation of Katara’s endeavours to open dialogue with different civilisations, and to build bridges of knowledge communication between nations, it embraces the activities of the language of music in co-operation with the Italian embassy in Qatar, as part of the events of the European language in Katara.”
“This certainly constitutes an important and luminous space that contributes to creating harmony and rapprochement between civilisations, and promotes dialogue and communication through culture,” he said. “We are pleased to consolidate this cultural interdependence through various activities on an ongoing basis.”