Archive for the ‘ News ’ Category

Future collaboration with actor Anthony Heald

Actor Anthony Heald, famous for his many roles on stage, in movies and on TV, will collaborate with David Leisner in an exciting program of Shakespeare readings and solo guitar, beginning in the 2021-22 season.

Season schedule and Guitar Plus concert details are now posted

David Leisner’s schedule for the 2019-2020 season and details on the May 2020 Guitar Plus concert are now up on the website.

Two new voice and piano publications from Presser

Theodore Presser Company has just released two volumes of selected songs for voice and piano by David Leisner.  These are mostly early songs from cycles written in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as well as one song from 2002.  “My Letter to the World” contains 6 songs for high voice, and “To Imagination” has 6 songs for medium voice.  Available from music dealers everywhere.

Rave Review for “Playing with Ease” on Goodreads

“This is one of the best books on the physiology of guitar playing (and instrumental technique in general) that I have read”, writes Scott Sanchez for Goodreads.  To read more of this review, please go to the “Playing with Ease” page on this website.

Guitar orchestra piece commission

A consortium of guitar orchestras in the US will commission David Leisner for a substantial new work for guitar orchestra.  Details forthcoming soon.

Eduardo Fernandez/David Leisner duo to return soon

The guitar duo of Eduardo Fernandez and David Leisner was a big hit in its concerts this season at the 92nd St. Y in New York and in Seattle, Portland, OR, Los Angeles, and the Long Island guitar Festival.  They plan to return for more concerts in a few seasons.

Playing with Ease, an Oxford University Press book, is now available

David Leisner’s long-awaited book on ergonomic technique for the guitar and other instruments as well is now available from Oxford University Press and Amazon.  Playing with Ease: a healthy approach to guitar technique” intends to set a new standard for the literature on this subject.

Castelnuovo-Tedesco Quintet review by Allan Kozinn

Reviewing Leisner’s performance on August 9, 2018, at the Portland Chamber Music Festival, former New York Times critic Allan Kozinn reported in the Portland Press Herald: “David Leisner, a superb guitarist (and also an eloquent composer) who is chairman of the guitar department at the Manhattan School of Music, delivered a crisply articulated, sweetly singing account of the guitar line and made its difficult stretches seem almost easy.”

Leisner book on ergonomic technique to be published by Oxford University Press

Playing with Ease: a healthy approach to guitar technique is the name of the new book by David Leisner, to be released by Oxford University Press.  The official release date is October 15, 2018, although advance copies may be ordered here for delivery in late September.

New teaching videos for tonebase

David Leisner has joined the roster of teaching artists at tonebase, a new platform for educating guitarists about specific aspects of technique, interpretation and repertoire.  His first two videos on Villa-Lobos’ Etude 8 and 12 have just been released.  This is the beginning of a series he will do on all 12 of the Etudes. https://tonebase.co