CARMINA BURANA
December 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
CARMINA BURANA, the work that starts being performed somewhere in the world every 2 minutes, finds its way to the heart of the Cluj-Napoca audience, in a staging and interpretation worthy of its status as an emblem of the symphonic vocal repertoire. From the devastating power of the famous „O Fortuna” to moments of lyricism, exuberance, and humor, the audience will be captivated by the unique tumult of this work, by the complexity of the orchestral fabric, by the impetuosity of the choral interventions, and by the fascinating solo lines that will narrate the stories that Carl Orff found in a collection of medieval texts and transformed into the most famous symphonic vocal work in the world. The audience will also enjoy the participation of the members of the Symphony Orchestra and the members of the Mixed Choir of the Târgu Mureş State Philharmonic.
Tenor Ştefan von Korch, artistic coordinator of the Musical Extravaganza season and a soloist particularly appreciated for the tenor line in Carmina Burana explains: „There are few compositions that have crossed the boundaries of classical music and become part of the universal musical heritage. «Carmina Burana» by Carl Orff is one of them – a symbolic work, instantly recognizable, whose sonic imprint – «O Fortuna» - has an unmistakable resonance that goes beyond concert halls, bringing to life manifestations in cinematic, theatrical, or choreographic art and many others. The chance to hear it live on stage, in its full embodiment and artistic complexity, is a transformative experience for any spectator and a test of mastery for artists.” Those present at the December 9th performance will also enjoy the interpretation of tenor Ştefan von Korch, which was praised at the opening of the Palermo Classica festival and applauded over 40 times on stages in Romania.
With a fascinating circular structure – symbolizing the relentless force of destiny itself, Carmina Burana musically embodies in 24 tableaux the tumult of life, desire, joy, the rebirth of nature, and the call of carnal pleasures, being thematically as relevant today as on the day of the performance's premiere, which took place in 1937, and proof of its extraordinary power to fascinate entire generations of listeners is the very fact that every two minutes, somewhere a new interpretation of this masterpiece begins, which you are invited to discover on December 9th at the Students' Cultural House in Cluj Napoca.
About ** Ştefan von Korch – Tenor, host soloist Musical Extravaganza**
Ştefan von Korch, applauded for his tenor line in Carmina Burana but also for his roles in "I Puritani," "The Barber of Seville," "Rigoletto," "The Elixir of Love," or "Falstaff," delights the audience 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 Braşov, Piteşti, Sibiu, Craiova, and Târgu Mureş.
With a dynamic presence in national and international cultural life, Ştefan von Korch has already appeared since the beginning of the year on the stage of the National Theatre in Bucharest, at the Braşov Philharmonic, Sibiu, Târgu Mureş, Arad, and on the stage of the Iaşi National Opera in "The Merry Widow 2.0," directed by Andrei Şerban.
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, he debuted at the Romanian Athenaeum in "Concert at the Imperial Court," he opened the Arad Philharmonic season with "Carmina Burana," his "signature" work, in 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 male vocal 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 in this work, with an acclaimed appearance in both the peninsula's and Romania's press.
His name is also associated with 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 parts written for the male voice.
He concluded the year 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 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 in the European premiere “Traiano in Dacia.”
Over time, he interpreted roles specific to 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 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 the season Musical Extravaganza
The concerts are meant 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, Lucian Petrean 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.
