"Noch während seines Studiums in Salzburg konnte sich AAA einen Namen als Lied- und Oratoriensänger machen.
Mittlerweile arbeitete er mit Dirigenten wie BBB, CCC, und DDD zusammen".

Even before his studies were complete, AAA had begun to make a name for himself as a singer of oratorio and lieder.
In the meantime he worked with conductors such as BBB, CCC and DDD.


I'm getting totally confused with my tenses here...does this sound right(ish)? (if not the most beautiful of sentences...)