SPRING WALTZ – with tenor Ştefan von Korch and guests

April 24, 2027 at 7:00 PM

Oltenia Philharmonic - Craiova

SPRING WALTZ – with tenor Ştefan von Korch and guests on April 24 at the Oltenia Philharmonic

On April 24th, tenor Ștefan von Korch invites the public to "Spring Waltz," a concert that highlights the brilliance of Viennese balls, the emotion of great love stories, and the joy of nature's rebirth. Tenor Ștefan von Korch is joined this fairytale evening by soprano Elina Velica. The two soloists propose a musical journey full of grace and passion, where each melody will bloom, in warm piano chords, on the stage of the Oltenia Philharmonic, starting at 7:00 PM.

Tenor Ștefan von Korch elaborates: "We are offering the public a musical bouquet of arias and duets in waltz rhythm, creations from the works of the waltz kings - Franz Lehár and Emmerich Kálmán - which will transport the audience's thoughts through aristocratic salons, blooming gardens, and timeless love stories. We await you to enjoy together a spring in waltz steps, an evening of elegance, romance, and enchanting music!"

From intoxicating waltzes and nostalgic melodies to passionate duets and moments of vocal virtuosity, the concert will be a true celebration of beauty, love, and the joy of living.

In the refined atmosphere of yesteryear's salons, the voices of the two artists will bring to life a bright and romantic sound universe, where the elegance of operetta intertwines with the freshness and exuberance of spring.

### About the protagonists:

** Ştefan von Korch – Tenor, host soloist  *

Tenor  Ştefan von Korch, whose voice is recognized for the part in Carmina Burana, but also for the roles in "I Puritani,"  "The Barber of Seville," "Rigoletto," or "The Elixir of Love," is the host soloist and artistic coordinator of the Musical Extravaganza season, a pioneering cultural project that brings opera and operetta closer to the public, held monthly in the capital, with extensions on the stages of the Philharmonic Orchestras of Brașov, Pitești, Sibiu, Craiova. 

 With a dynamic presence in national cultural life and beyond,  Ștefan von Korch  opened this autumn the seasons of the Philharmonic Orchestras in Satu Mare and Târgu Mureș with his signature work, "Carmina Burana," returned to the stage of the National Theatre in Bucharest in the concert "Duel of the Tenors,"  and was a soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater at the National Opera in Iași, where he was also present at the beginning of the year, in  "The Merry Widow 2.0,"  directed by Andrei Șerban.

In 2025, he was the only Romanian soloist in the  highly traditional concerts "Los Tres Tenores,"  in Central America, alongside soloists from Spain and Honduras, debuted at the Romanian Athenaeum in "Concert at the Imperial Court," opened the Arad Philharmonic season with "Carmina Burana," his „signature" work, with which he also started the year on the stage of the Transylvania State Philharmonic.

It is the unmistakable voice for the tenor line in Carmina Burana – a passage at the limit of the male voice's capabilities, which he navigates with overflowing ease. Thanks to his performance of this work, he has been invited to over 40 performances of Carmina Burana, in Philharmonic and cultural institutions across the country, as well as abroad. In 2024, he had the honor of opening the Palermo Classica Festival with this work, with an acclaimed appearance in both the peninsula's and Romania's press.

His name is also linked to over 15 performances at the National Opera in Bucharest, where he has been invited over time in "The Barber of Seville," "The Elixir of Love," and "Falstaff," as well as to the national premiere of the opera "I Puritani" by Vicenzo Bellini, one of the highest parts written for the male voice.

He concluded 2024 with notable appearances at the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre, at Sala Palatului, and at the Philharmonic orchestras in Târgu-Mureș and Timișoara.

 In 2023, he was the only Romanian soloist in the China Tour 2023, alongside the Orchestra Reino de Aragon from Spain.

 He delighted the audience with his voice in 3 national premieres: "I Puritani" and "La Sonnambula," both by Vicenzo Bellini, the vocal-symphonic work "Messa di Gloria" by Rossini, as well as the European premiere "Traiano in Dacia."

 Over time, he has performed roles specific to his voice in the very well-known operas: "Rigoletto," "The Barber of Seville," "The Elixir of Love," "Don Pasquale," on the stages of the Operas in Bucharest, Cluj, and Iași, and is a constant presence on the stages of national philharmonics, Mozart's "Requiem," Bach's "Christmas Oratorio," and Mendelssohn's "Lobgesang."

Internationally, he has performed at the Metropolitan Concert Hall Tokyo, Zhuhai Opera House, Nanjing Poly Grand Theatre and Chongqing Grand Theatre, Opera Kaiserslautern Germany, the Auditorium of Zaragoza, the Steri Palace in Palermo, Teatro Verdi Padua Italy, the Concert Hall of the Zurich University of Music, and the National Theatre Bratislava.

About Elina Velica – soprano

With a velvety timbre and a presence full of grace and elegance, soprano Elina Velica is appreciated and known for her roles in classical operas as well as for her diverse cultural and musical activities. She represents a symbol of Romanian artistic excellence carried beyond borders, successfully combining her musical vocation with a spiritual commitment to the great historical figures of Romania.

She is a soloist of the Representative Orchestra of the Ministry of National Defence, conducted by Colonel Aurel Gheorghiță, and also an ambassador in education and transformation within the "Transform Nation" project, during which she has held recitals both on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest and on the stage of the Palace of the Republic in Chișinău.

Last year, she was part of the prestigious project "Armonie Romene–Regina  Maria  –Regina di tuttii romeni", held at the Kursaal Palace in San Marino.

In Arad, she was recently appreciated by the public at the Gala of Arad Excellence, where she performed alongside tenor Ștefan von Korch and the Arad Philharmonic Orchestra.

She held recitals in Paris, in Livorno, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, as well as at Queen Mary's Castle, on the Black Sea coast in Balchik, Bulgaria, in the production "Mozart and Salieri", conducted by Iurie Florea.  

She debuted on the stage of the Bucharest National Opera with the role of Fiordiligi in the premiere of Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte", a co-production with the Garsington Opera, Great Britain, and was a delightful Pamina in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" on the stage of the Children's Comic Opera.

She collaborated with the important orchestras and philharmonics in Romania - Bucharest, Botoșani, Arad, TârguMureș, Sibiu, Brăila, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and her symphonic vocal repertoire includes, among others, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", Bach's "Johannes Passion" and "Matthaus Passion", Camille Saint-Saëns' "Christmas Oratorio"; W.A. Mozart's "Requiem"; Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" and G. Verdi's "Requiem".

About Elina Velica – soprano

With a velvety timbre and a presence full of grace and elegance, soprano Elina Velica is appreciated and known for her roles in classical operas as well as for her diverse cultural and musical activities. She represents a symbol of Romanian artistic excellence carried beyond borders, successfully combining her musical vocation with a spiritual commitment to the great historical figures of Romania.

She is a soloist of the Representative Orchestra of the Ministry of National Defence, conducted by Colonel Aurel Gheorghiță, and also an ambassador in education and transformation within the "Transform Nation" project, during which she has held recitals both on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest and on the stage of the Palace of the Republic in Chișinău.

Last year, she was part of the prestigious project "Armonie Românească – Regina Maria – Regina di tutti i romeni" (Romanian Harmony – Queen Maria – Queen of all Romanians), held at the Kursaal Palace in San Marino.

In Arad, she was recently appreciated by the public at the Arad Excellence Gala, where she performed alongside tenor Ștefan von Korch and the Arad Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has given recitals in Paris, in Livorno, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, as well as at Queen Mary's Castle, on the Black Sea coast in Balchik, Bulgaria, in the production "Mozart and Salieri", conducted by Iurie Florea.

She debuted on the stage of the Bucharest National Opera with the role of Fiordiligi in the premiere of Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte", a co-production with Garsington Opera Great Britain, and was a delightful Pamina in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" on the stage of the Comic Opera for Children.

He collaborated with the major orchestras and philharmonics in Romania - Bucharest, Botoșani, Arad, TârguMureș, Sibiu, Brăila, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and his vocal symphonic repertoire includes, among others, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", Bach's "Johannes Passion" and "Matthaus Passion", Camille Saint-Saens' "Christmas Oratorio"; W.A. Mozart's "Requiem"; Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" and G. Verdi's "Requiem".

About the seasonMusical Extravaganza

Chamber concerts are meant to offer the public the joy of meeting representative names of the lyrical stage, in a more intimate setting, which offers a different perspective on the artistic act compared to that on the imposing opera stage, but also to bring classical music closer to audiences of all ages. Spectators are invited to admire their favorite soloists in a select atmosphere, complemented by chamber accompaniment, which highlights the performers in a warm and personal light.

The first two seasons of Musical Extravaganza, conducted under the artistic direction of tenor Ştefan von Korch, included over 20 successful concerts, which delighted the audience, along with the host soloists: sopranos Oana Maria Şerban, Cristina Maria Oltean, Daniela Bucşan, tenors George Vîrban, Mihai Urzicana, Andrei Mihalcea, Alin Stoica, baritones Adrian Mărcan and Fang Shuang, pianist Alexandru Burcă, accordionist Emy Drăgoi, pianist Bogdana Cocîrlea, pianist Marius Groza, and the Orchestra of the National Theatre of Operetta and Musical Ion Dacian – in its chamber ensemble formation, and the Orchestra of the Pitești Philharmonic – the most avant-garde in the country.

Starting with the 2026 / 2027 season, the Musical Extravaganza season will also bring complete works to the audience – the first of which will be the cantata "Carmina Burana", followed by Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem.