"I LOVE WOMEN" – Romanian love stories with tenor ŞTEFAN von KORCH and guests

Sibiu State Philharmonic - Thalia Hall

On February 14, tenor Ştefan von Korch and soprano Oana Maria Şerban celebrate love, offering the audience a selection of passionate and tender Romanian musical creations. Through the subtle blend of the lyrics of great poets, traditional melodies, and classical landmarks, the show brings pure and authentic Romanian emotion closer to the audience's soul. The experience will be amplified by the presence at the piano of maestro Alexandru Burcă.

" The repertoire is a musical transition from creations of popular inspiration and doinas on Eminescu's lyrics, to beloved arias from famous works signed by our great composers or very beloved interwar creations. Each artistic moment will be a plea for authenticity, tradition, and the beauty of Romanian expression.  " says tenor Ștefan von Korch.

The show's program brings together works of special sensitivity, from the charming "Iubesc Femeia" or "Zaraza" to creations by Romanian composers such as "Mult mă-ntreabă inima", or moving doinas on Eminescu's lyrics like "De ce nu-mi vii" or "Dorinţa".

Tenor Ștefan von Korch elaborates: „Love is the same regardless of time or place, it ennobles and brings to a common denominator little Paris, with its classical sphere and creations of popular inspiration. We will wholeheartedly offer arias from operettas, but also doinas, lieder, or interwar pieces, through which we will evoke Romanian joy, love, and longing."

Young woman from Sibiu, Cristiana Sofia Damian, a rising voice who conquered the Mamaia Trophy in the Creation section with the song "Prima iubire eşti tu" (You are my first love), will delight the public with her appearance.

About ** Ştefan von Korch – Tenor, host soloist  Musical Extravaganza**

Ştefan von Korch, applauded for his tenor line in Carmina Burana as well as for his roles in "I Puritani," "The Barber of Seville," "Rigoletto," "The Elixir of Love," or "Falstaff," delights the public monthly as a host soloist and artistic coordinator of the Musical Extravaganza season, a pioneering cultural project carried out in the capital, with extensions on the stages in Brașov, Pitești, Sibiu, Craiova, and Târgu Mureș. 

 With a dynamic presence in the national cultural life and beyond,  Ștefan von Korch  opened the seasons of the Philharmonic Orchestras of Satu Mare and Târgu Mureș in 2026 with his signature work, „Carmina Burana", performed on the stage of the National Theatre of Bucharest in the opening of the Musical Extravaganza season and on the stage of the Iași National Opera in the work „Stabat Mater" by Rossini and in the operetta „The Merry Widow" directed by Andrei Șerban, and brought „Carmina Burana" for the premiere in Baia Mare in the Musical Extravaganza season, in which another 6 performances of the famous work are planned.

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 Transilvania 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 style, 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 the national premiere of the opera "I Puritani" by Vicenzo Bellini, one of the highest scores written for the male voice.

 He concluded 2024 with notable appearances at the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre, at the Palace Hall, 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 Reino de Aragon Orchestra 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 in Zaragoza, the Steri Palace in Palermo, Teatro Verdi Padua Italy, the Concert Hall of the Zurich University of Music, and the National Theatre Bratislava.

Oana Maria Şerban – ** Soprano **

With a warm smile and a voice that blends sensitivity with strength, Oana Șerban conquers stages at home and abroad. Her unique timbre has the power to transform each piece into a story and each note into an emotion. From the energy of opera roles, to the delicacy of pop-opera and the joy of musical theatre, Oana lives each stage appearance as an encounter with her soul audience.

In the current year, soprano Oana Maria Şerban was "Elle" – the sole character in "The Indifferent Beauty" and "The Human Voice," on the stage of the "Ion Dacian" National Operetta and Musical Theatre, she performed the character Miss Honey in "Matilda," the musical of the Children's Comic Opera awarded at the UNITER Gala, and she debuted in the role of Rosina in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," a production of the Bucharest National Opera.

 Last year, the talented coloratura soprano sang in the Gardens of the Palace of Versailles, on the occasion of the opening of the Paris Olympic Games, performed at the Musikverein in Vienna  în the role of Dochiţa from the Operetta „Crai nou", alongside the Bucharest National Opera and debuted at the Bucharest National Opera în 2023  în the roles of Olympia from the opera The Tales of Hoffmann, by J.Offenbach, Gilda from the opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, and most recently Susanna, from the opera The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She is the favorite heroine of the little ones in memorable roles on the stage of the Children's Comic Opera, where she was, among others, Rosina from the opera The Barber of Seville, Clorinda from the opera Cinderella, both by Gioachino Rossini, Norina from the opera Don Pasquale and Adina, from the opera The Elixir of Love, by Gaetano Donizetti.

About the season Musical Extravaganza

Chamber concerts aim to offer the public the joy of meeting representative names of the lyrical scene, 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 the classical genre 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 guidance of tenor Ştefan von Korch, included over 20 successful concerts, in which they delighted the audience, together with the host soloist: 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 salon formation and the Piteşti Philharmonic Orchestra – the most avant-garde in the country.

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