Born in Faribault, Minnesota, VocalEssence Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle (b.1943) showed signs at an early age of the adventurous spirit that has driven his lifelong enthusiasm for all forms of choral, vocal, opera and symphonic music. At the age of six, he requested and received a vocal score of Handel’s Messiah for Christmas. As a teenager he was already working as a professional church organist; at 19 he became a full-time member of the Minnesota Orchestra.

At the age of 25, Philip was appointed choirmaster-organist of Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. He immediately established the Plymouth Music Series, which has become today’s choral music organization VocalEssence. Philip played piano on the very first episode of A Prairie Home Companion in 1974, now in its 57th season, forging a connection with Garrison Keillor that has resulted in many creative ventures over the years.

Philip has been invited to guest conduct choirs and orchestras across the United States, South America and Europe, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Berkshire Choral Festival, the BBC Singers and the Seattle Symphony. He is called upon to adjudicate choral competitions all over the world, with recent visits to South Korea, China, Norway and Hungary.

Philip was a board member of Chorus America and the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM). He served as President of the Sixth Symposium, held in Minneapolis in 2002.

Philip has been recognized for his commitment to choral music by Norway (Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit), the United Kingdom (Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire), Hungary (Kodály Medal), Sweden (Royal Order of the Polar Star) and Mexico (Ohti Recognition Award). In 2003, Chorus America honored Philip with its highest award, the Michael Korn Founder’s Award for Development of the Choral Art.

He has received the F. Melius Christiansen Lifetime Achievement Award, American Choral Directors Association-Minnesota Chapter’s highest honor and holds honorary doctorates from St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. John’s University, United Theological Seminary, and the Univeristy of Minnesota.

Philip was the recipient of the Weston H. Noble Lifetime Achievement award, given by the North Central American Choral Directors Association.

In July 2025 he conducted the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers at the prestigious Three Choirs Festival in Hereford, England - the 3rd American choir in the Festival's 310-year history ever to be invited.  Their tour also included concert at Bath Abbey and Evensong at Westminster Abbey, and recorded a Christmas concert to be released in December by VOCES8 for their "Live from London" series.