​European Opera Singer Lifts Voice for God

I often wonder how to reconcile my work with my faith.

By Irida Dragoti

As an up-and-coming opera singer, I finished studying at the conservatory in Rome and moved into a shared apartment with several Seventh-day Adventist women.

I immediately noticed something different about them. They were always smiling and trustworthy. I often, happily, found Bibles lying around the house and even Bible verses stuck to the walls. My roommates eagerly headed to church on Saturdays.

I had grown up in Albania, which experienced as explosion of religious denominations after the communist government collapsed when I was young. My Albanian parents belonged to different religions.

With this background, my curiosity was greatly piqued by my new roommates. We developed a strong friendship. They often invited me to attend church with them but, for one reason or another, I was unable to go. My strongest hesitation, which still haunts me today, was the question of how to respect the biblical Sabbath in my profession.

I discovered my gift for singing at the age of 15 when my high school music teacher, almost randomly, asked me to sing. She was impressed at my potential and called my mother. My mother sent me to a renowned Russian voice teacher, who also was a former opera singer and the mother of prominant opera singer Inva Mula.

My teacher, Nina Mula, affectionately and passionately guided me in perfecting my voice. All the time, I was studying in high school in Albania’s capital, Tirana.

After my graduation, many people encouraged me to move to Italy, the home of opera. I decided that the best option would be to continue my formal education at Rome’s National Academy of St. Cecilia, one of the oldest musical institutions in the world.

The classes were challenging, and the teachers had high expectations. I dedicated myself to my studies day and night, while adding to my parents’ meager income back at home by working in pizzerias and shops.

Between work and studies, I attended masterclasses with leading opera singers such as Renata Scotto and Daniela Dessì. Renata Scotto even offered to help me relocate to the United States, where she lives. But divine intervention brought about another plan, and I remained in Rome. I began to make money through concerts, participating in events with people of the caliber of Andrea Bocelli, Ennio Morricone, and Riccardo Cocciante.

After graduating from the National Academy of St. Cecilia, Imoved in with the Adventist roommates.

Finding a Husband

One evening, while chatting with my roommate Esther, I confided that I would like to find a good man to marry. I felt so alone, especially because my family lived far away. Esther, who has a gift for matchmaking, suddenly exclaimed, “I know just the man for you! His name is Andreas!”

Intrigued by Esther’s inspiration, I accompanied her to church to meet this young man.

Well, Esther’s intuition proved right. It was love at first sight. Shortly after we met, we started to date and then got married.

As our relationship unfolded, I went through a life-changing experience. Through Adventist teachings, I glimpsed many biblical truths and found the heavenly love and peace. One evening, during a Bible study with my future father-in-law, pastor Vincenzo Mazza, I decided to get baptized and dedicate my life to God. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision born of a strong desire to live for God. I was baptized in 2008. What an unforgettable day!

Not long after getting married, Andreas and I moved to Tuscany, Italy. The city was calmer than Rome, the housing was more affordable, and a baby was on the way. I continued my educational journey at Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma. Soon I earned my final diploma with the top mark, 10.

Several months before the birth of our daughter, I won an audition at the Opera of Florence to sing as a mezzosoprano chorister. Later, I went on maternity leave and, several months after Christine was born, began working at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a historical theater with an incredible tradition in arts and music.

But I wasn’t satisfied with my education. So, while I was working, I enrolled in a masterclass with well-known Bulgarian soprano Raina Kabaivanska. A sensitive and wise woman, she sometimes invited Andreas and me to her house in Modena. She showed genuine appreciation for my family and welcomed us with open arms. Such things don’t happen often in opera circles, especially with divas. During the visits to her house, we often spoke about our faith.

Read about Vincenzo Mazza: From Sicilian Village to Presidential Palace

Singing for God

Our marriage gave birth to a series of concerts, an evangelistic project called christian-style.net and supported by the Adventist Church’s world headquarters. We visited various churches — not only Adventist, but also Catholic and Pentecostal — to hold concerts of sacred music. I sang, expressing my emotions and my faith in God, as a local pianist played. Andreas coordinated the concerts and supported the songs with short messages about love and faith.

During breaks in my work with Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, I also sang as a soloist, often at the National Opera in Tirana, Albania. My mother still lived in Albania.

Then I received the news that my mother had terminal cancer, and I tried to stay close to her. Andreas and I spent long periods in Albania, calmly carrying on with our work and family. Sadly, my mother died in 2014.

Meanwhile, Andreas began a job with the communication department of the Adventist Church’s Inter-European Division based in Switzerland. His superiors decided that he could work remotely, and this gave us the freedom to move as we needed.

My resume has continued to grow. The Lord has granted me the privilege of performing as a soloist on several big stages, including Napoli’s Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest and most beautiful theater in Europe.

The Adventist Church also remains a solid part of my life. Wherever I end up singing, I can count on finding a trustworthy church family connected to me though obedience to God and faith in Him. I joyfully share my faith in the theaters where I sing, during the interviews that I give, and in conversations with maestras and opera divas.

Today I am 34, and the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to sing as a soloist at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, a historical theater in Rome. Specifically, I am part of the Fabbrica Young Artist Program, a project for young opera singers who wish to make their talents available to the opera house.

I am happy for this gift from God, and I pray that every experience at the theater will bring glory and honor to Him.

But the question that first entered my mind when I lived with those Adventist roommates persists. How do I reconcile my work with my faith? Many times, I have considered leaving my challenging profession. Every time, however, the Lord has intervened, showing me that I need to continue on this journey. I often remember Shirley Verrett, a marvelous opera singer who was born into an Adventist family. Her example gives me strength and energy to persevere.

I am convinced that God will guide our choices, whether difficult or even seemingly impossible, when we draw near to Him with humility, sincerity, and faith. For that reason, I am assured that God is constantly at my side.