THE TENORS' DUEL – Extraordinary Concert with tenors Ştefan von Korch, Alin Stoica, Mihai Urzicana

November 21, 2025, 7:00 PM

"Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova

The beloved tenor Ştefan von Korch invites music lovers from Craiova to "The Tenors' Duel," a premiere concert that will enliven the evening of November 21st with canzonettas, pop-opera pieces, and famous arias. The event will be hosted at the "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre and alongside tenor Ştefan von Korch – the host soloist, will be two other exceptional male lyrical voices: tenor Alin Stoica and tenor Mihai Urzicana.

https://youtu.be/Nl69NNvETYg?feature=shared

Soloist Ştefan von Korch elaborates: „ the concert is inspired by the tradition of the great male vocal trio formulas of the world, but will also explore beyond them and will include a sparkling repertoire of famous arias and canzonets, a veritable „best of", from which landmarks such as „Nessun dorma,"  „La Donna e mobile," or „O Sole Mio,"  but also lyrical rarities, meant to delight and move the audience."

The concert will be a special musical experience that will delight the soul of music lovers with the most well-known pieces suitable for the star voice of the lyrical register – that of the tenor.

About the protagonists

** Ştefan von Korch – Tenor  **

With exponential, national and international development, Ştefan von Korch began the year on the stage of the Transylvania State Philharmonic, in Carmina Burana, his "signature" work, continuing at the National Opera in Iași in the role of Camille de Jolidon from "The Merry Widow 2.0" directed by Andrei Şerban, but also in the Musical Extravaganza concert series, for which he is the soloist-host and artistic coordinator.

Ştefan von Korch ended 2024 with notable appearances at the Ion Dacian Operetta and Musical National Theatre, at the Sala Palatului and at the Philharmonic Orchestras in Târgu-Mureș and Timișoara, and during the summer he debuted in Carmina Burana at the Palermo Clasica Festival and in a grand concert spectacle in Spain. Also during last year he performed on the stage of the Târgu-Mureș Philharmonic the vocal-symphonic work Stabat Mater by G. Rossini, considered a demonstration of virtuosity for any tenor, and the work Lobgesang by F. Mendelssohn, was invited to the Opera in Iași, in the sparkling role of Camille de Jolidon, from The Merry Widow 2.0 directed by Andrei Șerban and at the Romanian Opera in Timișoara in the staging of The Merry Widow signed by Mario Di Carlo.

In 2023, the tenor made the hearts of the spectators vibrate with masterful interpretations of the score specific to his voice from Carmina Burana, for which he is considered a benchmark and was the only Romanian soloist in a tour of 27 cities in China. Other milestones in his career include leading roles in operas and operettas presented on the biggest stages in Romania: "The Barber of Seville", "The Elixir of Love" and "Falstaff" (Bucharest National Opera), "Rigoletto," "Don Pasquale," "The Merry Widow" and "The Merry Widow 2.0" (Iași National Opera), "I Puritani" (national premiere) "Rigoletto" and "The Barber of Seville" (Romanian Opera Cluj-Napoca) and others.

Alin Stoica - Tenor

Alin Stoica is the only Romanian tenor who, at the end of last year, performed at the Christmas concert in the Vatican and was the Pope's guest in a private meeting. The soloist is also the sole holder in Romania of the Luciano Pavarotti award. On the stage of the Bucharest National Opera, he stands out in "La Traviata," "Carmen" or "La Boheme."

The "Luciano Pavarotti" Prize, obtained in 2017, was awarded to him by the wife of the famous tenor, Nicoletta Mantovani, along with the 2nd prize and the audience award "Vota la voce", both obtained at the Sarzana festival, Italy. Due to this success, tenor Alin Stoica received the invitation to sing at the Homage Concert on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Luciano Pavarotti's death at the Arena di Verona alongside renowned names from the music world such as: Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Il Volo, Eros Ramazzotti, soprano Angela Gheorghiu and others.

Over time, the artist perfected his vocal training with tenor Ionel Voineag and tenor Marius Budoiu, participated in the Masterclasses of Rockwell Blake and Liora Maurer (Metropolitan Opera, New York), of Mariana Nicolesco and other specialists.

Mihai Urzicana - Tenor

As an opera soloist, tenor Mihai Urzicana has won numerous national and international awards: First Prize at the National Music Interpretation Competition  Mihail Jora, First Prize at the National Competition Opera Start,  Second Prize and Audience Award at  L'Assoluta Virginia Zeani – The International Grand Prix of Romania – Tg. Mureș,  Second Prize – International Competition Vox Artis – Sibiu and  is a constant presence on concert stages and on the stages of musical theaters  in the country and abroad.

Tenor Mihai Urzicana benefits from the guidance of personalities of the world lyrical art, such as:  Liora Maurer and Lucy Arner – Metropolitan Opera New York, baritone George Petean and director Sharon Mohar – Les Maîtres Sonneurs – France.

Soloist of the National Operetta and Musical Theater "Ion Dacian" in Bucharest, tenor Mihai Urzicana is a graduate of a master's degree at the National University of Music Bucharest, of the Orthodox Theological Seminary Constanța and of the Faculty of Theology, Sacred Art and Pastoral Sections.

Mihai Urzicana is also a soloist of the Armonia Choir from Constanța, an ensemble with which he has performed concerts around the world (England, Ireland, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, Switzerland, Israel, etc.) and has won Gold Medals at choral world competitions in the U.S.A., Latvia, Austria, Germany, Russia.

About the Musical Extravaganza season

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 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 a chamber accompaniment, which highlights the performers in a warm and personal light.

The first season of Musical Extravaganza, conducted under the artistic direction 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, MH Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre – in a salon format.