CON TE PARTIRO – Dragobete in pop-opera chords with tenor Ştefan von Korch and soprano Oana Maria Şerban
February 24, 2026 at 19:00
"Ion Besoiu" Cultural Center Sibiu
On February 24th, music becomes the universal language of love, which tenor Ştefan von Korch, host soloist of the Musical Extravaganza series, and guest soprano Oana Maria Şerban, evoke in its full complexity, in the "Con Te Partiro" concert. The two soloists will put their interpretative mastery into the musical embodiment of the highest and most passionate feelings, illustrating pathos, tenderness, longing and rediscovery, through duets and reference arias, but also through pieces that have defined the pop-opera phenomenon.
Tenor Ştefan von Korch, host soloist and artistic coordinator says: «The "Con Te partiro" concert is a true celebration of life, music and love, a show with a rich repertoire that goes from opera to pop-opera and takes the audience through a whirlwind of sounds and feelings."»
The audience will enjoy a charming program in which the iconic song "Con te partiro," but also classical landmarks will outline a vibrant musical journey, full of warmth and passion that reveals the intense feelings of the search for love and fulfillment through love.
## ABOUT THE SOLOISTS
About ** Ştefan von Korch – Tenor **
Tenor Ştefan von Korch is appreciated monthly by the public as a guest soloist and artistic coordinator of the Musical Extravaganza season, a pioneering cultural project carried out in the capital, with extensions on the stages of Braşov, Piteşti, Sibiu and Craiova.
With a dynamic presence in national cultural life and beyond, Ştefan von Korch debuted in 2025 at the Romanian Athenaeum in "Concert at the Imperial Court," opened the Arad Philharmonic season with "Carmina Burana", his "signature" work, in which he also began the year on the stage of the Transylvania State Philharmonic, performed in Central America, in the concerts of great tradition "Los Tres Tenores," alongside soloists from Spain and Honduras and was applauded at the National Opera in Iaşi in "The Merry Widow 2.0," directed by Andrei Şerban.
It is the unmistakable voice for the tenor line in Carmina Burana – a passage at the limit of the male voice's capabilities, through whose interpretation he navigates with overflowing ease. Thanks to the manner of interpreting this work, he was invited to over 40 performances of Carmina Burana, in the Philharmonic Orchestras and Cultural Institutions in the country, but also abroad, in 2024 he was honored to open the Palermo Classica Festival in this work, with an appearance acclaimed in the press from the peninsula and Romania alike.
His name is also linked to over 15 performances at the Bucharest National Opera where he was invited over time in "The Barber of Seville," "The Elixir of Love" and "Falstaff"," but also to the national premiere of the opera "I Puritani," by Vicenzo Belinni, one of the most highest scores written for male voices.
He ended 2024 with notable appearances at the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre, at the Sala Palatului and at the Philharmonic Orchestras of 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 "Messa di Gloria" by Rossini, but also in the European premiere "Traiano in Dacia."
Over time, he interpreted the specific roles of his voice from 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 Mendhelson's "Longesangt".
Internationally, he has performed at the Metropolitan Concert Hall Tokyo, Zhuhai Opera House, Nanjing Poly Grand Theatre and Chongqing Grand Theatre, Opera Kaiserslautern Germany, Teatro Verdi Padua Italy, Zurich Music Academy Concert Hall, Bratislava National Theatre.
Oana Maria Şerban – ** Soprano **
With a warm smile and a voice that combines sensitivity with strength, Oana Șerban conquers stages in the country and abroad. Her special 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 musicals, Oana experiences each appearance on stage as a meeting with the audience of the soul.
This year, soprano Oana Maria Şerban was "Elle" - the only character in "The Beautiful Indifferent" and "The Human Voice," on the stage of the National Operetta and Musical Theater "Ion Dacian," she played the character Miss Honey in "Matilda," the musical of the Comic Opera for Children awarded at the UNITER Gala and debuted in the role of Rosina from "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, a production of the National Opera of Bucharest.
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 in the role of Dochița from the Operetta "Crai nou" (New Moon), alongside the National Opera of Bucharest and debuted at the National Opera of Bucharest in 2023 in 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 Comic Opera for children, 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 Musical Extravaganza season
The 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 of 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 a chamber accompaniment, which highlights the performers in a warm and personal light.
The first Musical Extravaganza season, conducted under the artistic guidance of tenor Ştefan von Korch, included over 10 successful concerts, in which they delighted the audience, together with the host soloist: soprano Cristina Maria Oltean, soprano Daniela Bucşan, tenor Alin Stoica, baritones Adrian Mărcan, Lucian Petrean and Fang Shuang, pianist Alexandru Burcă, accordionist Emy Drăgoi, pianist Bogdana Cocîrlea, and the Orchestra of the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre - in the salon formula.
