Born in Katowice. In 1994, she graduated with distinction from the piano class of Andrzej Jasiński at the Karol Szymanowski Music Academy in Katowice. In that same year, after reaching the semi-final of the Géza Anda Competition in Zurich, she was awarded a private grant to continue her studies at the Zurich Conservatory under Homero Francesch. One of her most valuable experiences was a course  at the Basle Music Academy, from 1996 to 1998, under Krystian Zimerman. She has also honed her skills in masterclasses given by Victor Merzhanov and Leon Fleisher. Currently she is Assistant Professor at Karol Szymanowski Music Academy in Katowice, where she achieved the doctorate in Arts. Her teaching work includes masterclasses at the Showa Academia Musicae in Tokyo, lectures at Japanese institutions of higher artistic education.

Sixth Prize in the 13th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1995 opened the door for Magdalena Lisak to such prestigious concert halls as Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo, Stadt-Casino in Basle, Rudolfinum in Prague and National Philharmonic in Warsaw.

She has also taken part in Chopin festivals in Duszniki, Nohant- La Châtre, Mariánské Láznê, Ghent, Geneva and Warsaw ("Chopin And His Europe"). Her interpretations have been recorded for Deutsche Rundfunk, Radio Suisse Romande, Polish Radio and Telewizja Polska, and also on CD for DUX, Polskie Radio S.A., Polskie Radio Katowice and CD Accord.

Invited by National Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw she has performed and recorded the works of Fryderyk Chopin on historical instrument Erard (the CD series The Real Chopin).

She regularly gives recitals, as well as concerts with orchestra and chamber ensembles in Poland, other parts of Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, China and Brasil. She is fascinated by the variety of music trends in the 20th century. In 2000, she performed György Ligeti's  "Etudes" for the composer. She has given premiere performances in a number of festivals: the Silesian Days of Contemporary Music in Katowice, the International Cracow Composers' Festival, International Festival Laboratory of Contemporary Music in Warsaw and Bialystok, and the "Warsaw Autumn".

Has performed as a soloist with such conductors as Kazimierz Kord, Tadeusz Strugała, Tomasz Bugaj, Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk, Jerzy Salwarowski, Massimiliano Caldi, Agnieszka Duczmal, Jacques Mercier and Reinbert de Leeuw.

She has sat on the jury of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia (2010, 2011, 2012) and the Qualification Committee of the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (2010).

She pursues various artistic projects under the ægis of the Silesian Music Society, of which she is founder and chair.