David Leisner

David Leisner is among the world's most respected guitarists and guitar teachers. He is also a noted composer. Leisner has a growing catalog of recordings as a soloist, chamber musician, and composer. Among his compositions are Dances in the Madhouse for violin and guitar (1982), Three Moons for cello and guitar (1984), and As Wind in Shells for soprano, violin, and guitar (2023, commissioned by guitarist Robert Nathanson). Leisner was diagnosed with focal dystopia in the 1980s, which put his performing career on hold; by 1996, he was cured of the condition. Leisner published the book Playing with Ease: A Healthy Approach to Guitar Technique in 2018. In 2022, he backed baritone Michael Kelly on a recording of Leisner's arrangement of Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin. In 2024, he issued the solo album Charms to Soothe: 19th Century Music for Guitar.