Sidney Rothstein

Rothstein co-founded the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia and served as its Music Director from 1964-1976. In 1976, he led that orchestra in a nationally broadcast performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (The Symphony of a Thousand) to officially open Philadelphia's Bicentennial Celebration.^[4][5]

For thirty years (1976-2006), Rothstein was Music Director of the Reading Symphony Orchestra, where he improved the quality and raised the stature of the orchestra in the Reading community.^[6][7][8] Rothstein was the Associate Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony from 1976-1980, commuting from Reading to Honolulu for four years.^[9] In 1980, Rothstein was named Music Director of the West Virginia Symphony in Charleston.^[10] In 1981 Rothstein was named Music Director of the Florida Symphony Orchestra, in Orlando Florida, a position he held until 1985.^[8][11][12] Until 1985 he led all three orchestras. From 1996-2006, he was Conductor of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, located in Ridgefield Connecticut.^[13][14][15]

Rothstein served as guest faculty at the Bard College Conductors Institute and was named as a "Settlement 100" honoree by the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia as part of the school's centennial celebration.^[1][16]

Rothstein died in Wyomissing, PA, on February 2, 2017.^[8][17]