Will Shishmanian

Will Shishmanian is a composer/lyricist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Queens, NY. He wrote music, book, and lyrics for Amberland: A Folk Musical, which was most recently performed in concert at Hope Mill Theater in Manchester, UK in 2022. This show pulls from Shishmanian’s own experience as a transgender man, and was featured as part of Playbill’s Songwriter Series in November 2023.

Shishmanian co-wrote A Piece of the Past with collaborator Brooke Trumm for Prospect Theater Company’s Musical Theater lab in November 2023. The show was also selected to be performed at Theater Now NY’s SOUND BITES 11. The song “Fade Away” from A Piece of the Past was selected as a winner for the Write Out Loud contest in 2024.

Shishmanian also wrote music and lyrics for Addy & Dahlia: A Fairytale Musical, which was performed at the Secret Theater in NYC in January 2019, and twice in Ithaca, NY in 2012. Outside of his work as a composer, Shishmanian plays guitar for performances, readings, and recording sessions in and around the city, and writes short film scores. His most recent solo EP “Never Far Behind” was released in 2023, and can be found on streaming platforms under the artist name Will Shish.