Samuel Rothstein, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet

Samuel Rothstein is the Assistant Principal and Bass Clarinetist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, where he also served as Acting Principal Clarinet from 2021-2025. Prior to his appointment in Indianapolis, he was a member of the Richmond (VA) Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. 

Samuel has appeared as guest Principal Clarinet with the Detroit Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony, and as guest Bass Clarinet with the Chicago Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony and Virginia Symphony. Summer festival appearances include the Grant Park Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, Bravo Vail, National Repertory Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA and three summers at the Tanglewood Music Center. In his final year at Tanglewood, he was a member of the New Fromm Players focusing on the study and performance of contemporary music.

As an educator, Samuel is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and has been visiting faculty with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL. He has presented masterclasses at Northwestern University, Indiana University, UNC-Greensboro, Ball State University, Miami University, Butler University, Oakland University, Indiana University-Fort Wayne and the Digital Clarinet Academy. He is the creator, producer and host of the Candid Clarinetist podcast, which has amassed over 20,000 lifetime downloads.

He holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University and considers J. Lawrie Bloom, Steve Cohen and Michael Wayne his primary teachers and mentors.