The Transylvania State Philharmonic Choir, Cluj, was founded in 1972 by Sigismund Toduta. The first conductor was Dorin Pop, followed in 1976 by Florentin Mihaescu, who enlarged the repertoire of the ensemble, bringing its first international success. Cornel Groza, who was appointed conductor in 1986, followed his predecessors in bringing the choir to an international, world-class level. There have been collaborations with Romanian and foreign conductors, including Gary Bertini, János Ferencsik, Pinchas Steinberg and Shlomo Mintz, and with orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic and the Zurich Tonhalle, as well in opera recordings in Pesaro and Rossini in Wildbad.