Famed conductor to come to IU

Sergiu Comissiona, a world-renowned conductor, will lead an IU School of Music orchestra at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Musical Arts Center.\nThomas Wieligman, coordinator of instrumental ensembles at the Music School, said that very few schools in the country can call on someone like Comissiona, who has worked with some of the best orchestras in numerous countries. \n"The School of Music attracts top students from all over and because of that, we can bring guests like Sergiu Comissiona to the University," Wieligman said.\nThe students who are performing were recommended by faculty members. The performance is free to the public. \nComissiona, a native of Romania, began violin studies when he was five years old and made his conducting debut with the Romanian State Opera at the age of 17. He since went on to work with orchestras and ensembles around the world. His name can be attributed to many international guest conducting appearances, musical directorships, recordings and awards. Comissiona is also known as a strong proponent of music education; he founded the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's national competition for young American conductors. One of his recent achievements includes being honored as a knight by in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and Communication, an award that recognizes eminent artists and writers, and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.\nDavid Effron, professor of instrumental conducting, once met Comissiona on a train from Baltimore to New York.\n"He is an incredibly successful artist and a first-rate musician and conductor," Effron said. "It's a great honor to have him here working with our students."\nBecause Sunday's performance was organized to fit with Comissiona's busy schedule, IU's orchestra will only have about a week to practice together. It will be the first time in four years that Comissiona makes an appearance at IU.\nBrad Weil, a first-year masters student, who will be playing with the orchestra on Sunday, said that the caliber of IU musicians helped them to easily adapt to the pressure, especially at the hands of a first-rate maestro like Comissiona.\n"He is very capable of bringing out the best in us as musicians," Weil said. \nErik Rynearson, who will also be playing with the orchestra, said despite the pressure, he thinks the rehearsals are going well. \n"It's interesting to see how respectful the orchestra is to him," said Rynearson, a first-year masters student. "He definitely knows what he is doing and how to get what he wants (out of the musicians)."\n-- Contact staff writer Kye Lee at kyelee@indiana.edu.