Shelly Cohen

Shelly Cohen

For more than 25 years Shelly Cohen (pictured here on the right with recording engineer Peter Woodford) has been a part of America’s music community. Educated at Brooklyn College and at the Juilliard School of Music, Shelly became the Assistant Musical Director for the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and remained so for 30 years until Johnny’s retirement in 1992. Other television accomplishments include: Music Coordinator for the Emmy Awards and the Today Show’s “Reflections of Irving Berlin and Richard Rodgers,” and writer/producer of two Christmas Specials for NBC, “Christmas With Friends” and “Noel.” Shelly has been the Guest Conductor for the Los Angeles Pops, Virginia Pops and the Pasadena Pops orchestras. In 1992 Shelly formed the New Horizon Singers, an 80 voice choir which performs several concerts a year with guest appearances at “Concerts in the Park”, the “Warner Center” and in 1995 they opened the Pepperdine University Winter Concert Season at the Smothers Theater. He is also the founder and conductor of the Pacific Pops Orchestra. His vision is to gather a group of versatile musicians capable of performing many different styles of music. Shelly’s writing and musical arrangements cover a broad spectrum from Classical to Pops. Many of these compositions have been published and in addition, he has produced and recorded many albums for various companies. Two of these albums were nominated for Grammys. His publications are with leading music publishers including: Warner Brothers, Belwin Mills, North American Liturgy Resources, Gentry Music, Alfred Music and the Oregon Catholic Press. Shelly's "Gypsy Gold" CD is due out in the summer of 2000. It features arrangements of gypsy music from around the world with solo pieces performed by Leola Wagner, violin; Janice Foy, 'cello and Stuart Brottman, cimbalom accompanied by a gypsy orchestra which he found in L.A.!