Lisa Cosens Brillon began singing professionally at the age of 17 on the national television show, CBC Hymn Sing. Lisa studied at the Universities of Manitoba and Arizona where she earned her Bachelor and two Masters of Music degrees in Voice Performance and Music Education.  She began her doctoral studies in voice performance, pedagogy and choral conducting at the University of CincinnatiCollege Conservatory of Music.  Lisa also studied in New York City with the Assistant Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and at the Mannes College of Music.  

For close to seven years, Lisa sang with the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera in the role of Madame Firmin.  She has performed in concert, recitals, musicals and on the opera stage in North America, Europe and Israel and notably at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City in the lead role of Elena in I Vespri Siciliani with Opera Orchestra of New York. Her voice has been described as “a lyric soprano voice of much beauty, tone and sensitivity”.   She has received various awards and scholarships at the regional Metropolitan Opera auditions, American Jenny Lind Competition, American Teachers of Singing, Mozart competition and was a finalist in the prestigious Washington International competition.

Ms. Brillon founded and directs the Queenston Women’s Chorus, is the pianist and choir director for St. David’s United Church, was the artistic director/founder of the Niagara’s premiere show choir, The Niagara Star Singers and for 18 years directed the summer Queenston Musical Theatre Camp.  She was the voice/choral instructor for Music Niagara’s Summer Music Academy and as well, she is the founder/ festival director of the Niagara Festival of Performing Arts, has served on the executive for NATS Ontario (National Association Teachers of Singing), is a former board member for the Yellow Door Theatre Project and is currently the President of the Ontario Music Festivals Association (OMFA). Lisa is also the Great Lakes Region Governor for NATS International.   She was the ‘host’ for the OMFA Provincial finals held in Niagara 2019 and 2023 to over 2000 competitors.

Lisa is sought out as a voice, musical theatre, commercial music adjudicator and choral clinician and is a former RCM voice examiner. She resides in Queenston where she loves teaching singing in her independent home studio. Her students have graduated from universities in Canada and the USA in music programs in classical voice, musical theatre, opera, and music education. Many students perform in professionaland community musical theatre shows, with Disney, Universal, on cruise ships, with symphony orchestras, in opera, have won the RCM Silver/Gold Medals and excel at festivals and competitions.  Ms. Brillon is proud to educate musicians and singers of all ages in the art of singing.