Background
Comissiona, Sergiu was born on June 16, 1928 in Bucharest, Romania. Son of Isaac and Jean L. (Haufrecht) Comissiona. came to the United States, 1969. Naturalized, 1976.
Comissiona, Sergiu was born on June 16, 1928 in Bucharest, Romania. Son of Isaac and Jean L. (Haufrecht) Comissiona. came to the United States, 1969. Naturalized, 1976.
Studied with Constantin Silvestri and Eduoard Lindenberg, 1928. Student, Music Conservatoire, Bucharest. Doctor of Music (honorary), Peabody Conservatory Music, 1972.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Loyola College, Baltimore, 1973. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Towson State University, 1980. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland, 1980.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Western Maryland College, 1977. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), University Maryland, 1981. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Johns Hopkins University, 1982.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary), University Bucharest, 2003.
Born in Bucharest, Romania in a Jewish family, he began violin studies at the age of five, was hired as a violinist by the Romanian State Ensemble while still in his teens, making his conducting debut at the age of 17. In his twenties he was named principal conductor of the Romanian National Opera, which he led from 1955 to 1959. He fled the Communist regime in 1959 and emigrated to Israel.
In 1960 he founded the Ramat Gan Chamber Orchestra, which he led until 1967.
He also directed the Haifa Symphony from 1959 until 1966. He made his American debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1965 and emigrated to the United States in 1968.
Later he was also music director of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Sweden, from 1966 to 1977, and became chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic in Hilversum, Netherlands, in 1982. Comissiona also held music directorships with some of North America"s leading ensembles, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and was also music director of the New York City Opera.
Beginning in 1969 he spent 15 years with the Baltimore Orchestra and transformed it from a little-known ensemble into a nationally respected orchestra, eventually taking it on its first international tour and directing it in its first recordings.
He was also the Music Director of the Asian Youth Orchestra. Comissiona was principal conductor of the Spanish national broadcasting network orchestra in Madrid, the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, from 1990 to 1998. From 1997 until his death, Comissiona was principal guest conductor for the University of Southern California Thornton Symphony at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.
World premiere and other notable performances
He premiered and made the first recordings of a number of modern works including symphonies by Allan Pettersson, who dedicated his Symphony Number.
9 to him, as well as works by Michael Jeffrey Shapiro and Elie Siegmeister. Comissiona conducted Siegmeister"s An Entertainment for Violin, Piano, and Orchestra at the Merriwether Post Pavilion on July 2, 1976 with Ann Saslav, piano, and Isidor Saslav, the BSO"s concertmaster, as soloists.
The Saslavs had commissioned the work from Siegmeister. In 1968, Comissiona conducted the first performance of Rued Langgaard"s Music of the Spheres in 46 years (since 1922), which ignited a renaissance for Langgaard"s music
Personal life
He was a longtime resident of New York City.
He died of a heart attack, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, just hours before he was to perform.
Member of Royal Swedish Academy Music (honorary), National Order of Romanian Star (Commander 2003), Knight Order Arts Letters (France).
Married Robinne Florin, July 16, 1949.