Gabriel Munteanu finally stepped onto the Vocea României stage after dreaming about the show since its first season. The journalist and radio presenter performed an emotional song during the blind auditions, hoping to win over the coaches, but none of them turned their chairs.

Although the audition did not lead to a place on a team, Munteanu’s appearance carried particular significance for him. Before singing, he explained that reaching the show’s stage had been a long-standing ambition. He approached the performance with the desire to prove himself as a singer while taking on a challenge he had imagined for years.

Smiley identified a clear strength in Munteanu’s performance: his vocal tone. The coach said that the contestant’s voice sounded especially effective in the lower register. At the same time, Smiley felt that technical accuracy alone was not enough to make the audition stand out.

In feedback reported by PRO TV, Smiley said Munteanu had sung the song correctly but that the performance needed more passion. He also suggested that further study and greater self-confidence could help the singer deliver the material with increased intensity in the future. The coach’s assessment focused on the difference between performing the notes accurately and communicating the song with a stronger emotional force.

Munteanu’s path to the audition began long before his work in journalism and radio. He sang at home as a child, but he lacked the confidence to perform for others. At 14, a friend who also sang encouraged him to take the next step and introduced him to a music teacher. Following the teacher’s recommendation, he began vocal lessons.

The early training was difficult. Munteanu was initially told that he could not reproduce notes accurately, but he continued working on his voice. After a year, he had progressed enough to take part in music competitions. His experience remained limited compared with performers who grow up regularly appearing at festivals and contests, and insecurity continued to be a major obstacle during his school years.

Music nevertheless remained important to him. Even after choosing a different academic direction, he continued to view the microphone as a form of therapy. He had once hoped to study music in the United Kingdom, but instead chose Journalism and Advertising, believing those subjects could help him learn how to promote himself and shape his own career.

That decision eventually brought him closer to performance in an unexpected way. During university, he completed a radio internship that involved recorded programs and live broadcasts. The experience taught him how to speak into a microphone, control his voice and manage his emotions. Munteanu now works in radio and wants to devote more of his time and resources to music. His Vocea României audition did not produce a chair turn, but it marked a significant step in confronting the uncertainty that had followed him for years. The program is also available early on VOYO.