Graham Lilly studied at the RSAMD and at the National Opera Studio gaining numerous prizes and awards. He subsequently moved to France in order to pursue his career and worked at the Operas in Nancy, Metz, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Rouen, Nice, Vichy, Paris (Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Opéra Bastille, Radio France), Der Vlaamse Opera Antwerpen, Opera Zuid de Maastricht, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Opera North Leeds, Dublin Grand Opera, Saint Endelion Festival (Cornwall) and Hong Kong Opera.

From 1994 to 2000, he was principal repetiteur at the Opera-Comique Paris, and in May 2000, he joined the National Opera de Lyon as repetiteur /coach with the main company, and also worked extensively with the troupe and the Opera Studio. He also performed in Lyon and on tour with the company in France and abroad at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Athens Festival, the Baden Baden Festival.

In 2009 and in 2013 he toured Japan with the Opera de Lyon under the Musical Direction Of Maestro Kasushi Ono and in 2015 he participated in the 20th anniversary revival of the highly esteemed production of – A Midsummer’s Night Dream- directed by Robert Carsen at the festival d’Aix en Provence.

He returned to Aix in 2019 for Tosca and in 2021 for Falstaff, I Due Foscari and le Coq d’Or for Maestro Daniele Rustioni. On three occasions, he toured with the Opera de Lyon to the Royal Opera House of Muscat Oman for performances of Don Giovanni, for which he also played continuo, l’Enfant et les Sortilèges, playing also piano in the orchestra, and for performances of Eine Nacht In Venedig. More recently he returned to the Edinburgh International Festival participating in performances of La Cenerentola.

Graham also has a wide experience of orchestral playing, in both the symphonic and operatic repertoire.

As well as being a much sought after coach, he also regularly teaches at the CNSMD de Lyon, the CRR de Lyon, the HTM de Geneve and Neuchatel Switzerland, the DTT Conservatory of Music Dublin and is frequently in demand for adjudication of exams and competitions. A lively interest in accompaniment sees him frequently performing in concerts and Festivals in France and abroad.