
This was a fun interview to do. David has a lot of information, wisdom and a good sense of humor. Wearing many different hats, he brings serious knowledge to the podcast. Playing with Ease, can be found on Amazon or at many guitar retailers or on the Oxford University Press website, https://global.oup.com/academic/produ... Registration for the Memphis guitar festival can be found here. https://secure.touchnet.com/C20227_us... From David Leisner's official bio: DAVID LEISNER is an extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as an electrifying performing artist, a distinguished composer, and a master teacher. “Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide, Leisner is a featured recording artist for the Azica label, with 9 highly acclaimed recordings, including the most recent, Arpeggione with cellist Zuill Bailey and Facts of Life, with the music of Del Tredici, Golijov and Bach. Other recordings are on the Naxos, Telarc and Koch labels, with a concert DVD published by Mel Bay. David Leisner's recent seasons have taken him throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, Asia, Australasia and Europe. Celebrated for expanding the guitar repertoire, David Leisner has premiered works by many important composers, including David Del Tredici, Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, Philip Glass, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Sculthorpe and Osvaldo Golijov. He was also a pioneer in the rediscovery of 19th-century guitar composers, Johann Kaspar Mertz and Wenzeslaus Matiegka. A frequent visitor to important chamber music festivals, he is also the Artistic Director of Guitar Plus, an innovative series in New York devoted to chamber music with the guitar. His own compositions, noted for their emotional and dramatic power, are performed, recorded and published worldwide. Fanfare magazine described his music as “rich in invention and melody, emotionally direct, and beautiful”. An extensive discography includes the much-praised Cedille CD, Acrobats, performed by the Cavatina Duo, while his compositions are published mostly by Theodore Presser Co. A distinguished teacher as well, Leisner is currently Chair of the Guitar Department at the Manhattan School of Music. Oxford University Press has published his book, “Playing with Ease: a healthy approach to guitar technique”. www.davidleisner.com