Philip Brisson, DMA
Cathedral of the Assumption
Chorusmaster, Kentucky Opera
Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky
(502) 582-2971 x5220
pbrisson@cathedraloftheassumption.org

Dr. Philip Brisson is Director of Music and Organist at the Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville, the oldest inland Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the country.  In addition to leading the Cathedral's traditional worship, he manages the Cathedral Concert Series which includes the Kelty Endowed Organ Recitals as well as performances by many visiting choirs which have further recognized the Cathedral for musical excellence in both liturgy and performance.  Philip has led the Cathedral Choir on international concert tours to England, Ireland, Germany, and Austria and another tour is now being planned for the summer of 2012.  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.  Previous season’s performances have included Puccini’s Turandot, Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Otello, Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila, Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Massenet’s Werther, and Tchaikovsky's Iolanta.  This season’s performances will include Verdi’s La Traviata, Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

As an organ soloist, he has given recitals in Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA; Reno, NV; Manhattan, NY; Queens, NY; Geneva, NY; Rochester, NY; West Point, NY; Princeton, NJ; Boise, ID; Columbus, IN, New Albany, IN; Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Columbus, OH; Norman, OK; Dallas, TX; Pittsburgh, PA; Detroit, MI; Topeka, KS; 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.  Until taking over the Kentucky Opera Chorus, he oversaw the choral program at Indiana University Southeast, where he conducted the Concert Choir, the Community Chorus, and taught choral conducting.  He has also presented workshops to the American Guild of Organists and to the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

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 was also 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.

Philip Brisson is active in the American Guild of Organists, has served on the Louisville Chapter’s Executive Committee since moving to Louisville and has held both the Sub-Dean and Dean positions for the Guild.  He is also the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Organist Liaison for the Louisville Archdiocese, Membership Chairman of the Roman Catholic Conference of Cathedral Musicians, and is a member of The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.  Dr. Brisson also founded the concert artist cooperative EastWestOgranists.com, which represents several prominent young American organists in the United States.