Will Johnson

WILL JOHNSON is an audio artist from the Bronx, New York, currently exploring the elasticity of history and identity through sound and time-based processes. His work centres on blackness - the material and immaterial conditions of space that shape sound into movement and historical record.

He holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from NYU-Gallatin. He is the recipient of the Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Sound Art/Composition (2018) and the McKnight Foundation Fellowship for Musicians (2019). His commercial work in composition and song includes licensed sound for Acura, GAP, Beats Electronics, HBO and contributions to 2016 Grammy-winning best electronic album Skin.

His live performances have been commissioned by Lincoln Center, the Kitchen, the Public Theater and MASS MoCA. Recent work includes an immersive performance called Meta-Simulacrum, co-presented by the Walker Arts Center and Cincinnati Symphony. He collaborated with artist Hebru Brantley by composing/sound installation for his Nevermore Park exhibition in Chicago, was exhibited from late 2019-2020 during the pandemic. Johnson is currently pursuing a PhD in Music and Multimedia Composition at Brown University.