He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on 20 December 1978, aged 28, conducting Engelbert Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel". He returned the following season for the same opera, of which he conducted a total of 18 performances. He was on the musical staff at Glyndebourne from 1974 to 1978, and conducted the Glyndebourne Touring Opera, including "Così fan tutte" in 1975. He collaborated with the British director Jonathan Miller on a celebrated production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" at the Opera Theater of St. Louis (USA) shortly before his death.