Elisabetta Brusa (Milano, 3 aprile 1954) è una compositrice italiana naturalizzata britannica.
Ha studiato composizione al Conservatorio di Milano con Bruno Bettinelli e Azio Corghi, diplomandosi nel 1980. Ha insegnato quindi composizione ai conservatori di Vicenza, Mantova e Brescia prima di arrivare al conservatorio di Milano nel 1985. Ha ricevuto insegnamenti anche da Sir Peter Maxwell Davies e Hans Keller.
Dopo aver vinto il primo premio alla Washington International Competition per composizioni per quartetto d’archi nel 1982, è stata premiata con una Fromm Music Foundation Fellowship e una Fulbright Fellowship l’anno seguente ed ha seguito il corso di Composizione al Tanglewood Music Center. Inoltre, ha vinto tre Fellowships consecutive del MacDowell Colony nel 1988, 1989 e 1990. Nel 1997 ha sposato il direttore d’orchestra Gilberto Serembe.
Attualmente è meglio conosciuta per le sue opere per orchestra, registrate in cinque volumi per l’etichetta Naxos Records. La sua musica si ispira ad opere letterarie ed artistiche e da musica di tutte le epoche. Ha anche al suo attivo due Sinfonie per grande orchestra

Born in Milan, Italy, in 1954 and naturalised British in February 2018, Elisabetta Brusa started composing at the very young age of 5 and created over 30 piano pieces as well as a string quartet before starting Composition studies at the Music Conservatory in Milan under the guidance of Bruno Bettinelli and graduating in 1980 with Azio Corghi. From 1976 to 1985, she also frequently traveled to the UK to be mentored by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies in Dartington and Hans Keller in London. Among the numerous awards she obtained are the 1st prize of “The Washington International Competition for Composition for String Quartet” with her “Belsize” String Quartet in 1982, and the “Fromm Foundation Fellowship” and a “Fulbright scholarship” in 1983, which allowed her to attend Composition courses held by Hans Werner Henze and Gunther Schuller at Tanglewood (US). From 1988 to 1990, she was awarded Fellowships from the MacDowell Colony (US) for artistic residencies to work on her first “Symphony” for large orchestra and other works.
She has had numerous commissions and her compositions have been performed in various cities in Great Britain, Italy, the United States, Russia, Canada, Austria, Sweden, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Korea and Albania, Australia, Hong Kong etc.
Elisabetta Brusa was a full-time member of the faculty at the G. Verdi Music Conservatory in Milan, where she taught Composition and Orchestration from 1985 to 2018. Previously, she had taught at the conservatories of Vicenza, Mantova and Brescia.
Her works can be found on the Naxos label and can also be heard on Youtube and Spotify.