Cornelison graduated from Seattle Pacific University with degrees in music and psychology. He then went on to post graduate work and earned a Masters in Music from Indiana University in 1992. In 1995, he moved to Chicago and joined the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. Cornelison has won several awards for music, including: * The William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award * First place in the American Opera Society of Chicago’s 1997 Vocal Competition * The George London Foundation Encouragement Grant