Lisa Renee Ragsdale (1950) has composed works for mixed chorus, woodwind quintet, winds and brass, double reed ensembles and solo works for flute, alto flute and clarinet.

Lisa attended Illinois Wesleyan University where she received a Bachelor in Music Education in 1972. Lisa met Greg Hamblin, an organist and composer at Wesleyan. Through the association with Greg and other students, Lisa learned more about the mathematics of music and became more aware of choral and vocal music. In the mid 1970’s, Lisa met Roland Jordan, composer and theory instructor at Washington University in St. Louis. Jordan persuaded Lisa to start work on a Masters in Music Composition / Theory at Washington University. During this period of study with Jordan and John M. Perkins, Lisa composed a set of "Three Songs from the poems of Emily Dickinson," and a brief work for solo organ, both of which were performed.

After working on the MA, there was a period of resolving compositional and musical questions. In 1989 Lisa decided to take a new route of composing while working with Michael F. Hunt in St. Louis. Works for SATB Chorus, a first wind quintet, and other chamber music works were the starting points. When Lisa moved to Minneapolis MN in 1999 she found a thriving arts community, several helpful composers, and the momentum to begin working on several new works. These works include a Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, a Quintet for Double Reeds, a Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Piano and "Prairie Scenes" for solo flute and solo Alto flute.

In September 2004, Lisa received a Jerome Foundation Composers Commissioning Program grant to compose her Second Woodwind Quintet.