Stellar explosions: from supernovae to gamma-ray bursts

Current understanding of core collapse and thermonuclear supernovae is reviewed. Recent progress in unveiling the nature of cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRB) is discussed, with the focus on the apparent link of several GRBs with an energetic subclass of stellar explosions, type Ib/c core-collapse supernovae. This relation provides the strong case that the GRB phenomenon is connected with the final stages of massive star evolution and possibly with the formation of neutron stars and black holes.