The Romanian-born conductor Sergiu Comissiona made his conducting debut with the Bucharest Opera Orchestra at the age of 18; by the time he was 22 he was music director of the Romanian State Ensemble, and five years later he became principal conductor of the Romanian State Opera. In 1959 Comissiona fled the communist regime in Romania and emigrated to Israel where he became music director of the Haifa Symphony; the following year he organised the Israel Chamber Orchestra, with which he recorded and toured Europe and America. His US debut was made with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1965, the year in which he became music director of the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. He held that post until 1969, when he took up his position in Baltimore as Music Director raising the orchestra’s profile to one of national prominence and receiving widespread acclaim. He also held music directorships with the Vancouver Symphony, Houston Symphony, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Asian Youth Orchestra and New York City Opera and appeared as guest conductor with virtually all the leading orchestras of Europe and America.