Alan Shulman, 86, a professional cellist who composed scores for orchestras and chamber groups, died Wednesday in Hudson, N.Y.

Mr. Shulman composed A Laurentian Overture, which premiered with the New York Philharmonic in 1952, as well as Cello Concerto and Neo-Classical Theme and Variations for Viola and Piano.

Born in Baltimore, Mr. Shulman studied at the Peabody Conservatory and trained at the Juilliard School with cellist Felix Salmond and composer Bernard Wagenaar. He was a founding member of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, which was formed in 1937.

Mr. Shulman formed the Stuyvesant String Quartet with his brother, the violist Slyvan Shulman, in 1938.