Violist Omar Shelly, a native of Las Vegas, is an active performer and educator whose career spans major international stages, orchestral collaborations, and community engagement. He began his musical studies at age 11 and is a graduate of the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts.

Shelly continued his training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Jodi Levitz, and later at the University of Michigan under Yizhak Schotten. He also earned a master’s degree in Curatorial, Critical, and Performance Studies at Bard College as a founding member of The Orchestra Now, a unique program combining performance with scholarship and audience engagement.

During his studies, Shelly performed in many of the world’s leading concert halls and training programs. His appearances include multiple performances at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Concertgebouw, and Royal Albert Hall as part of the Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme and BBC Proms. Additional festival and orchestral engagements include the Aspen Chamber Symphony, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Sphinx Virtuosi, San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (as principal violist), and the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, with performances at venues such as the Sydney Opera Houseand the Philharmonie Berlin.

Shelly won a position with the Las Vegas Philharmonic in 2014 and returned to Las Vegas in 2018 after his time in New York. He has since become a regular presence in the region’s musical life, performing frequently with ensembles including the New World Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Boise Philharmonic.

A dedicated advocate for arts education, Shelly is actively involved with local organizations including the Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas, the Nevada School of the Arts, and the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras. In addition to his orchestral work, he has appeared as a chamber musician and curator, contributing to innovative programming within the Las Vegas community.