Shahzad Ismaily is an American musician, producer and composer of Pakistani descent. He is mostly self-taught as a musician and plays a variety of instruments, including electric and double bass, guitar, banjo, accordion, flute, drums and electronic instruments such as Moog synthesisers. He has recorded and performed with an incredibly diverse assemblage of musicians, including Marc Ribot, John Zorn, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Beth Orton, Colin Stetson, Ben Frost, Bonnie Prince Billy, Damien Rice, Jolie Holland, JFDR, Secret Chiefs 3, Sam Amidon, further and further.

In 2019, Ismaily collaborated with Merz and Laraaji for a one-off album entitled Dreams Of Sleep And Wakes Of Sound.

Ismaily regularly composes for theatre, films and musicals, including for Min Tanaka, the Frankfurt Ballet, Shinichi Iova-Koga/inkBoat and the East River Commedia. He is the composer of the soundtrack for the movie Frozen River, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Festival in 2008. He also runs the record label figureight records.