Rachmaninoff’s Second

Originally from Valencia, California, Matthew Roitstein joined the Houston Symphony in 2014 as associate principal flute, the first appointment made by Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. He was previously a member of the Honolulu Symphony and Sarasota Opera Orchestras, as well as a fellow of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, where he inaugurated the Solo Spotlight recital series in 2011 in the newly-built New World Center.

Roitstein has performed as guest principal flute with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Louisiana Philharmonic. During the summer, he has participated in the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, and Aspen and Sarasota Music Festivals. Roitstein has twice appeared on the PBS series Great Performances from Tanglewood and the New World Center, and he can be heard on recordings with the Houston Symphony and New World Symphony, as well as on Gloria Estefan’s album, The Standards.

An enthusiastic educator, Roitstein has taught extensively in the United States as well as throughout South and Central America. He received his bachelor’s degree in both architecture and music from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the 2007 winner of the MIT Symphony Concerto Competition. While at MIT, he studied flute with Seta Der Hohannesian. He received his Master of Music in Flute Performance with Leone Buyse at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Other influential teachers include Mark Sparks, Stephen Kujala, Gary Woodward, Pedro Eustache, and his mother, Rosy Sackstein.

Megan Conley (née Levin) had a musical upbringing in Austin, Texas. She began harp lessons at the age of five. The daughter of musician Danny Levin, she grew up playing music with her father and siblings in the family band. By the time she was 15, she had played on several albums of Austin musicians, including the Grammy Award-winning album ‘Los Super Seven.’

Megan received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Rice University, where she studied with Paula Page. In 2005, she was awarded a Fulbright Grant to study with Isabelle Perrin at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France. In 2012, Megan won first place in the Ima Hogg Competition and subsequently performed the Ginastera Harp Concerto with the Houston Symphony.

Megan joined the Sarasota Opera Orchestra as Principal Harpist for their 2011 and 2012 seasons. She also served as Principal Harpist of the chamber orchestra CityMusic Cleveland from 2007–2012. As a freelance harpist, Megan has performed with the New York City Ballet, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Knights, American Symphony Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, and the Bang On a Can All-Stars, among others. She also performed for ‘The Fantasticks’ on Broadway.

Megan joined the Houston Symphony as Principal Harpist in January 2015.