Musician and educator Paul Shelden, lifelong New Yorker, dead at age 79 from coronavirus complications

Dr. Paul Shelden, Professor Emeritus of Music at Brooklyn College
Dr. Paul Shelden, Professor Emeritus of Music at Brooklyn College(Brooklyn College)

Former Brooklyn College music professor Paul Shelden, whose experience performing with legendary maestro Leonard Bernstein inspired him to stage classical music concerts for generations of city schoolkids, died at his Long Island home from coronavirus complications, family said.
Shelden passed away from the virus on April 17 in Hewlett, according to his son Seth. He was 79.
During his decades as director and conductor of the college’s Conservatory of Music, he conducted concerts enjoyed by an estimated 250,000 students.
The Brooklyn native, a musician from an early age, performed with artists like Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett and the Grammy-winning band Blood, Sweat & Tears. He also played under the batons of renowned conductors Bernstein, James Levine and Robert Shaw, while appearing at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and the White House during his 64-year career.
Shelden also appeared with the famous Guy Lombardo Orchestra, joining in the annual televised New Year’s Eve celebration.
The precocious young performer joined his twin brother when both were still kids for an appearance on Ted Mack’s “Original Amateur Hour," with Paul on clarinet and identical sibling Aaron on accordion. Paul soon landed a gig as the youngest band director in the resorts of the Catskill Mountains.
The job worked out well. During his summers upstate, Shelden met his future wife Pamela when she sang with his band. The two were married for 51 years.
The musician eventually launched his own musical instrument company, Diplomatte Musical Instruments, overseeing the design and production of woodwinds. He earned a doctorate at the University of Maryland and multiple degrees from Juilliard, while mastering an assortment of musical styles from klezmer and classical to jazz and opera.
Though his academic work involved the clarinet, Shelden also became an accomplished saxophone and flute player. He continued to perform into his 70s with Long Island’s Northwinds Symphonic Band.
Shelden is survived by his wife of 51 years, Pamela Shelton, who was also stricken with coronavirus, his twin brother Aaron, son Seth, daughter Loren Napoli and her husband Rocco.

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