Mr.Ștefan Pop, you have recently been nominated for the prestigious International Classical Music Awards, in the Vocal Music category, for your album of arias by Giuseppe Verdi, recorded together with conductor Lawrence Foster. The album was released by Euroarts in July 2024. What does this international recognition mean to you and your career, and how did you receive the news?

How should I put it? I am more than grateful to God for the gift He has given me... Because everything I have done for the past 15 years, since I started singing, is nothing but study, study, study... I studied in Parma for seven years, and for five years in a row, I performed at the Teatro Regio in Parma. I can say this is one of the reasons why I am still here in Rome. If you come to think of it, we are talking about Luca Salsi and Michele Pertusi, who fully represent Verdi. And, indeed, I am happy, this isonly the confirmation that I am on the right path and that I need to keep going at any cost. It has not been easy, especially since, as everyone knows, I became a father, I have two little girls. It is very hard to be away from home. My soul struggles to find balance between my career and a real, normal life, as a human being, as a father. But, in the end, I believe I came on this Earth to bring joy to people's souls. I have said it before, and I always do: I sing from the heart andI try to give my best, as much as I can. And by God's grace, I have great faith, and this gives me the strength to keep going, despite all the sacrifices. I won't stop. And even if this nomination may not bring a prize - because, after all, there is also Jonas Kaufmann's album, and many other albums whichhave been nominated - the fact that a Romanian is, once again, in the most important categories, is, I believe something to be proud of. And this is not something I say, but the experts, because, since Angela Gheorghiu, there haven't been any other recordings of this kind, especially when it comes to tenors, to men's voices. I don't know when the last recording was made. And I am happy that, finally, we are on the world stage as well. There are more recordings to come; that is the big surprise for next year.