His paternal grandfather, a Muslim from the prominent Sikseck family who was married to a Jewish woman, rescued Jews several times when under threat of Arab attack.

In the summer of 1995, he conducted La Bohème at the Teatro Regio in Turin with the participation of Mirella Freni, Luciano Pavarotti and Nicolai Ghiaurov.

In February 1996, he conducted Fedora with Mirella Freni at the Teatro Comunale of Bologna and Manon by Massenet at the Vienna State Opera – this production was repeated regularly every year.

In 1996, he opened the season in the Arena of Verona with Carmen, followed by a concert in Tel Aviv which celebrated the 3000-year anniversary of Jerusalem (the soloists were Deborah Voigt, Agnes Baltsa, Roberto Alagna, Leo Nucci and Ferruccio Furlanetto).

In September of that year he led a new production of Otello in Cyprus with the participation of Katia Ricciarelli, Giuseppe Giacomini and Renato Bruson and directed by Michael Hampe.

The Dresdner Philharmonie, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden and conductor Daniel Oren present Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata, together with a stellar cast including René Barbera as Alfredo, Lester Lynch as Germont, and world star soprano Lisette Oropesa as Violetta.