Philip Brisson, DMA
Cathedral of the Assumption
Indiana University Southeast
Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky
(502) 582-2971 x120
pbrisson@cathedraloftheassumption.org

Dr. Philip Brisson is Director of Music and Organist at the Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville where he oversees three choirs which lead the Cathedral's traditional worship.  Also under his management is the Cathedral Concert Series which includes the Kelty Endowed Organ Recitals and many visiting choirs which have further recognized the Cathedral for musical excellence in both liturgy and performance.  After a successful tour to England and Ireland in 2004, Philip will again lead the Cathedral Choir this upcoming summer on a concert tour of Germany and Austria where they will perform at Mainz Cathedral; the Burgersaal Church, Munich; Karlskirche, Vienna, and sing for High Mass at St. Stephen’s Cathedral.  Locally, the Cathedral Choirs have performed with the Louisville Orchestra, were featured on the WHAS television program “Good Morning Kentuckiana,” and appear annually for a Christmas concert that has often included collaboration with Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral under the title “Christmas with the Cathedrals.”  In addition to his duties at the Cathedral, Dr. Brisson is also Chorusmaster for the Kentucky Opera with this season’s performances including Puccini’s Turandot, Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.  Next season’s performances will include Verdi’s Otello, Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, and Massenet’s Werther.

As an organ soloist, he has given recitals in Atlanta, GA; Reno, NV; Manhattan, NY; Queens, NY; Geneva, NY; Rochester, NY; Princeton, NJ; Boise, ID; Columbus, IN, New Albany, IN; Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Norman, OK; and he has appeared with the Louisville Orchestra as guest soloist performing the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony with Raymond Leppard conducting.

As a teacher, Dr. Brisson is on the faculty of Bellarmine University where he teaches organ performance.  He also oversees the choral program at Indiana University Southeast, where he conducts the Concert Choir, the Community Chorus, and teaches choral conducting.

Originally from New York City, Philip received his BM in Organ Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY.  While at Queens, he studied organ and conducting with Paul Maynard, the former director of the New York Pro Musica.  After being accepted into graduate organ performance programs at Juilliard, Indiana, and Michigan, Philip decided to attend Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where he earned a Masters in Sacred Music.  While at Westminster, he studied organ with Robert Carwithen and choral conducting with Allen Crowell.  He also was fortunate to regularly sing under Joseph Flummerfelt in the Westminster Symphonic Choir which performed Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen and Hindemith’s Requiem with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.  In 2005, Philip earned a Doctorate in Organ Performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied organ with David Higgs and received a Choral Conducting minor while studying conducting with William Weinert.