Composer Lisa Cunningham, daughter of a classical pianist, grew up in Greenwich Village performing in local clubs, and singing on the streets.

After studying English at CCNY, Lisa led a polarized existence as a session musician and also moonlighting as an underground rock priestess-- performing and recording with such progressive jazz and classical musicians as Carla Bley, John Greaves, Peter Blegvad, Kip Hanrahan, Fred Frith, John Zorn, Arto Lindsay, Anton Fier, David Hofstra, Mike Mantler, Andrew Cyrille, Gracian Moncur III, and others.

A solo recording contract as a singer/songwriter with Warner Brothers Records garnered a NY Music Award for Best Female Vocalist, and the following notices:

"Ms. Cunningham...has a strong, direct folk-pop delivery lightly flavored with pop-soul inflections. Her iconoclastic songs take time-honored forms, such as the 1950's street-corner ballad, and transform them into something more sophisticated. The thread of lush romanticism that runs through many of her lyrics recalls Laura Nyro ...full-bodied vocal harmonies evoke the Roches."
-Stephen Holden / The New York Times

"Cunningham , who's been compared to Laura Nyro, writes soulful confessionals built on graceful pop melodies...'She Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight' is a minor masterpiece of popcraft buoyed by warm, comforting harmonies...while 'Heaven' is a tour de force of harmony singing."
-David Browne/ Rolling Stone

"The music... is bright, delicate, and formal. Lisa Cunningham displays a captivating pop style that brings to mind both the sounds of Carole King and Laura Nyro. With their swirling, circular structures, songs such as 'Don't Remember' and 'Come Back' are particularly enticing."
-David Hiltbrand / People

Lisa wrote and performed a popular acappella singing show for children for Young Audiences; she sang, contracted, and arranged vocals for studio sessions in New York ; Lisa has toured and recorded with the Golden Palominos, and sang alto with the Euterpean Choral Ensemble.

She has scored over a dozen of Peter Cunningham's 'Still Films' (shown at Lincoln Center, around the US and in Japan), and composed the soundtrack for a permanent laserdisc installation at Federal Hall. She has written music for NBC's 'Dateline', The Discovery Channel, and The Metro Channel.

Lisa's worked with projects and musicians such as Ronnie Spector, Sesame Street, Buster Poindexter, Michael Stipe, Chris Stamey, Jean Michael Jarre, Matthew Sweet, Aerosmith, Luther Vandross, Victoria Williams, Bernadette Peters, John Jesurun, Paul Kaiser, Snooky and Tish, John Cameron Mitchell, Frank Maya, Debbie Gravitte, Donna Murphy, and Bernie Worrell among others.

Lisa studied dramatic writing at NYU, The New School, and The Gotham Writer's Workshop, among others, in preparation for creating new musical theater. She wrote about drama and music for television and radio in New York, and is currently composing and consulting.