Weisbrodt was born in Hamburg[5] and studied opera direction at the Hanns Eisler Music Conservatory in Berlin, graduating in 2000.

[9] After his graduation, Weisbrodt worked for management consulting firm McKinsey & Company[5] and held a number of positions in Germany, including assistant director at Deutsches Theater, co-founder of Zwischenpalastnutzung and Artistic Production Director at the Berlin State Opera.

[3] Luminato has encompassed all creative fields from music to theatre, dance, literature, visual arts, film, magic and food.

[29] Weisbrodt believed that Toronto was on the verge of becoming a city of global and cultural importance[30] and that the Festival could attract artists to live and work in it[8]—”I would love to be [...] part of making something really extraordinary here,” he said.

[31] Weisbrodt married his partner, singer-songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright, in Montauk, Long Island, in August 2012.