David Leisner

Writing for San Francisco Classical Voice, Scott Cmiel reported about David Leisner’s concert for the South Bay Guitar Society in early October 2016: “Leisner’s technical command, emotional intensity, and intellectual ability make him an ideal interpreter of this music [Ginastera Sonata]…Leisner is an absolute master of this material and his performance made pieces I have heard countless times spring to life [Villa-Lobos Etudes].” Later in the month, Blair Jackson, chief editor of…

Jim Tosone wrote a splendid review of the Guitar Plus “Three Anniversaries” concert of last April.  Of David Leisner’s performance of the Ginastera Sonata, he reported: “I first heard Leisner play this piece 19 years ago at Weill Recital Hall in New York.  In my review, I described his performance then as “controlled abandon”.  This evening, he somehow managed to play with both more control and more abandon.”  For more…

The distinguished Italian magazine, il Fronimo, published a rave review by Francesco Biraghi in their April 2016 issue. “An important recording event…Facts of Life, a terrific piece, solidly structured as only a few other pieces of the contemporary repertoire, extraordinarily rich in music…an interpreter of lively intelligence and uncommon sensitivity.”  For the full review please see the Performer Press Quotes page.

The Cavatina Duo’s exquisite new CD, Sephardic Journey, contains five commissions of music inspired by Sephardic folk songs.  The composers are Carlos Rafael Rivera, Clarice Assad, Alan Thomas, Joseph Williams and David Leisner.  Leisner’s work, Love Dreams of the Exile, is scored for flute, guitar and string quartet, played by the Cavatina Duo (Eugenia Moliner and Denis Azabagic) and the Avalon String Quartet.  For further info, click here

John Marks of The Tannhäuser Gate wrote: “Anyone who loves beauty and wants more of it in his or her life should buy this recording. Phil’s Classical Reviews reported: “Utter perfection…The present recording [of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata] is the 121st in the current catalog, and may be the most satisfying yet.”  For further info, click here

David will be the special guest teacher this summer at the Ben Verdery Maui Master Class July 5-14 on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  See the website for further details.

Arpeggione, the new much-anticipated CD by cellist Zuill Bailey and David Leisner is on the Azica label, and is ready for pre-order at Amazon.   The repertoire includes Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, the World Premiere recording of Leisner’s Twilight Streams, Falla Siete Canciones Populares Españolas, Gluck Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Saint-Saëns The Swan, Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 “Aria” and Paganini Variations on One String, on “Moses” by Rossini.  Official…

David Leisner’s guitar arrangement of the piano part of the Franz Schubert Arpeggione Sonata, along with Zuill Bailey’s cello adaptation of the arpeggione part, is now published by the Theodore Presser Co.  It is available at all the usual sheet music sources, and through the Theodore Presser website.  This arrangement will also be available on recording on Feb. 26, 2016, when Zuill Bailey’s and David Leisner’s cello/guitar CD, Arpeggione, is…

After years of trying to get permission for publishing, David Leisner has succeeded in getting Chester Music to release his arrangement of Solo Violin Music (formerly the Fourth Knee Play) from Einstein on the Beach.  This note-for-note transcription was recorded by Leisner on his Music of the Human Spirit album for Azica.   It is available at: http://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/01118777/details.html The Editor’s Note was omitted from the publication.  Here it is: “In…

Reporting on Leisner’s new Facts of Life CD, Paul Fowles of Classical Guitar magazine wrote:  “This is a significant and substantial release..As for the Bach, this extended slick of premium baroque demands copious reserves of skill, stamina, and style, and Leisner shows all three in abundance.”