Jury Member
XXII Competition, May 28–31, 2026
National Theatre in Belgrade
(Senior Categories)
Previous jury participation:
2021, 2022 (Senior Categories)
Dan Pataca was born on September 10, 1960, in Lugoj (Timiș County, Romania). He is a prominent vocal soloist, baritone, and currently works as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Music and Theater in Timișoara. He made his professional debut at the Romanian National Opera in Timișoara in 1991.
Education
He graduated from the West University of Timișoara, Faculty of Music, department of solo singing, in the class of Professor Alexandru Moisiuc. He also completed the Doctoral School for Music and Theater at the same university. He perfected his artistic mastery at masterclasses in Brăila with the eminent Mariana Nicolesco (1996) and in Timișoara with Corneliu Murgu (1996).
Career and collaborations
He has achieved numerous and significant collaborations with artistic institutions, including: Romanian National Opera in Iași, Elena Teodorini Lyric Theatre in Craiova, Oleg Danovski National Opera and Ballet Theater in Constanța, Nae Leonard National Opera and Operetta Theater in Galați, Radio Bucharest, Dinu Lipatti State Philharmonic in Satu Mare, as well as the famous George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest. He has performed on artistic tours around the world, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Albania, and South Korea.
Operatic repertoire
His rich and diverse repertoire includes some of the most significant baritone roles:
- G. Donizetti: Belcore (The Elixir of Love), Malatesta (Don Pasquale), Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor)
- G. Verdi: Giorgio Germont (La Traviata), Count di Luna (Il Trovatore), Amonasro (Aida), Renato (Un ballo in maschera), Nabucco (Nabucco)
- G. Puccini: Marcello and Schaunard (La Bohème), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Ping (Turandot), Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi)
- R. Leoncavallo: Silvio (Pagliacci)
- W. A. Mozart: Masetto (Don Giovanni)
- G. Rossini: Figaro (The Barber of Seville)
- C. Gounod: Valentin (Faust)
- J. Strauss: Homonay (The Gypsy Baron), Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus)
- F. Cilea: Michonnet (Adriana Lecouvreur)
- G. B. Pergolesi: Uberto (La serva padrona)
Awards and recognitions
He is the winner of the Second Prize at the International Hariclea Darclée Voice Competition (1995). His contribution to culture has also been recognized through numerous other prestigious awards: Diploma of Excellence from the Drăgan European Foundation and the Municipality of Lugoj, the "Pro Cultura" award granted by the Timiș County Council, and the "Lia Hubic" trophy of the Romanian National Opera in Cluj-Napoca.
"The revelation of the evening was Dan Pataca. Had Giorgio Germont been cast to a baritone by force, everything would have been lost. Intelligent and with wonderful vocal adaptability, Dan Pataca understood that the effect is not achieved by shouting, but that the art of singing is measured in the skill of making fine nuances..."
— Ovidiu Giulvezan, "Timișoara" newspaper, May 23, 1995.