CARMINA BURANA
February 28, 2027 at 7:00 PM
House of Culture of Trade Unions Constanta - Grand Hall
💥 Launch prices until September 15!
CARMINA BURANA, the work that is performed somewhere in the world every 2 minutes, finds its way to the heart of the Constanța audience, in a staging and interpretation worthy of its status as an emblem of the symphonic vocal repertoire, in the Musical Extravaganza season, artistically coordinated by the tenor from Bihor, Ştefan von Korch. The performance will mean for music lovers the chance to hear tenor Ştefan von Korch in his "signature" part, having opened the Palermo Classica Festival in Italy and many national philharmonic seasons with Carmina Burana throughout his career. The solo line-up will be completed by two other lyrical names appreciated by the public: soprano Oana Maria Şerban and baritone Fang Shuang.
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 vocal-symphonic work in the world.
Tenor Ştefan von Korch, artistic coordinator of the Musical Extravaganza season and a soloist particularly appreciated for his 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 performance in Constanța 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 premiere day of the performance, which took place in 1937, and proof of its extraordinary power to captivate 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 February 28th at the House of Culture of Trade Unions in Constanța.
About ** Ștefan von Korch – Tenor, Host Soloist Musical Extravaganza**
Ștefan 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 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 stages in Brașov, Pitești, Sibiu, Craiova, and Târgu Mureș.
With a dynamic presence in the national cultural life and beyond, Ştefan von Korch will open this autumn the seasons of the Philharmonic Orchestras of Satu Mare and Târgu Mureş with his signature work, „Carmina Burana" and will return to the stage of the Bucharest National Theatre in the concert „Duelul Tenorilor," and since the beginning of the year, he has already been present on the stage of the Bucharest National Theatre, at the Braşov Philharmonic, Sibiu, Târgu Mureş, Arad and on the stage of the Iaşi National Opera in „Văduva veselă 2.0," directed by Andrei Şerban.
În 2025 he was the only Romanian soloist in the concerts of great tradition "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 season of the Arad Philharmonic 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 Halls 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 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 the year 2024 with notable appearances at the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre, at the Palace Hall, and at the Philharmonic Halls 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, Auditorium of Zaragoza, Steri Palace in Palermo, Teatro Verdi Padua Italy, Concert Hall of the Zurich University of Music, 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 a soulful audience.
This year, soprano Oana Maria Şerban debuted as Rosina in the new production of "The Barber of Seville" on the stage of the National Opera, and performed as Miss Honey in the famous musical "Matilda" in Constanța as part of SEAS 2026. In 2025, she 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 role of Miss Honey in "Matilda," a musical from 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.
In 2024, 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", alongside the Bucharest National Opera and debuted at the Bucharest National Opera 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 children's favorite heroine 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.
**Fang Shuang – (Baritone)**
Fang Shuang became a true "audience favorite" after being a finalist in the "Romanians Got Talent" competition in 2017, where she obtained the Golden Buzz with the song ,,Copacul," and enchanted with ,,De-ai fi tu salcie la mal" and ,,Of, inimioară!," revealing her passion for old Romanian music.
His career on the opera stage, however, began much earlier, as early as 2013, when he became a soloist at the Children's Comic Opera, where he performed: Malatesta from "Don Pasquale," Peter (Father) from "Hansel & Gretel," Director from "Mam'zelle Nitouche" (Hapciu in D Major), Pappacoda from "A Night in Venice," Papageno from "Die Zauberflote" (The Magic Flute), Hook from "Peter Pan," and Pimpinone from "Pimpinone"
He is a graduate of the National University of Music in Bucharest, from the class of Mr. Ionel Voineag and Mrs. Andreiana Geamănă-Roșca for vocal accompaniment, and holds a master's degree in classical singing, but his great passion remains romances.
About the Musical Extravaganza season
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 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 Pitești Philharmonic Orchestra – the most avant-garde in the country.
