Chatter North

Peter Sculthorpe Oh, T.I.
David Leisner Acrobats or Away
Osvaldo Golijov Fish Tale

David Leisner guitar
Jesse Tatum flute
Judith Gordon piano

Lauren Camp spoken word

David Leisner, winner of the Leyenda Foundation’s 2026 Celedonio Romero Lifetime Achievement Award, is an extraordinarily versatile musician with a multi-faceted career as performing artist, composer and teacher. “Among the finest guitarists of all time”, according to American Record Guide, Leisner is a featured recording artist for the Azica label. 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 around the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australasia. A frequent performer of chamber music, he has performed at some of the major festivals around the country and was the Artistic Director of Guitar Plus, an innovative New York series devoted to chamber music with the guitar. His own compositions, noted for their emotional and dramatic power, are performed, recorded and published worldwide. One of his most recent commissions was the guitar concerto, Wayfaring, written for Pepe Romero, who will record it later this year. Leisner is the Chair of the guitar department at the Manhattan School of Music. He is also author of the book, Playing with Ease, published by Oxford University Press.