b. 1958

David Leisner

David Leisner maintains a dual career as both guitarist and composer. Photo: David Leisner, davidleisner.com

Audio

“A Drinking Song” (from “O Love is the Crooked Thing”)

William Alvarado (baritone) & Kate Bowen (piano)1:34

David Leisner

Composer

William Butler Yeats

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

A Timeless Procession

Thomas Meglioranza (baritone) & the Enso String Quartet8:28

David Leisner

Composer

Rosemary Thomas

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2011

Date

Used with the permission of the composer

“Anniversary Song” (from “Fidelity”)

Nina Faia (soprano), Anthony Zoeller (baritone) & Terry Decima (piano)3:19

David Leisner

Composer

Wendell Berry

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Ample make this Bed —” (from “Confiding”)

Emily Albrink (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)2:10

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Dickinson

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2007

Date

Purchase, NY

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Brown Penny” (from “O Love is the Crooked Thing”)

William Alvarado (baritone) & Kate Bowen (piano)1:20

David Leisner

Composer

William Butler Yeats

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Down by the Salley Gardens” (from “O Love is the Crooked Thing”)

William Alvarado (baritone) & Kate Bowen (piano)2:06

David Leisner

Composer

William Butler Yeats

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Faith” (from “Confiding”)

Sanford Sylvan (baritone) & Patricia Thom (piano)4:29

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Brontë

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1987

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“I Can’t Speak for the Wind” (from “Three James Tate Songs”)

Patrick Mason (baritone) & David Starobin (guitar)3:09

David Leisner

Composer

James Tate

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2011

Date

Used with the permission of the composer

“Light” (from “Heaven’s River”)

Courtenay Budd (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)2:26

David Leisner

Composer

Rabindranath Tagore

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2009

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Love and Friendship” (from “Confiding”)

Mary Ann Hart (mezzo-soprano) & Jon Klibonoff (piano)1:51

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Brontë

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1990

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Moon, Sun, Sleep, Birds, Live” (from “Fidelity”)

Nina Faia (soprano), Anthony Zoeller (baritone) & Terry Decima (piano)4:38

David Leisner

Composer

Kenneth Patchen

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Never Again the Same” (from “Three James Tate Songs”)

Patrick Mason (baritone) & David Starobin (guitar)3:21

David Leisner

Composer

James Tate

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2011

Date

Used with the permission of the composer

“Savior! I’ve no one else to tell —” (from “Confiding”)

Sanford Sylvan (baritone) & Patricia Thom (piano)1:59

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Dickinson

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1987

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Star-Crossed” (from “Confiding”)

Emily Albrink (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)3:18

David Leisner

Composer

Elissa Ely

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2007

Date

Purchase, NY

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Signal” (from “Confiding”)

Emily Albrink (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)3:04

David Leisner

Composer

Gene Scaramellino

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2007

Date

Purchase, NY

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“sometimes he contemplates adultery” (from “Fidelity”)

Nina Faia (soprano), Anthony Zoeller (baritone) & Terry Decima (piano)4:13

David Leisner

Composer

William Meredith

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Sonnet” (from “To Sleep”)

Robert Osborne (baritone) & Susan Almasi (piano)2:51

David Leisner

Composer

Elizabeth Bishop

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1995

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“The Boat” (from “Heaven’s River”)

Courtenay Budd (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)3:45

David Leisner

Composer

Rabindranath Tagore

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2009

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“The Lady to Her Guitar” (from “Confiding”)

Mary Ann Hart (mezzo-soprano) & Jon Klibonoff (piano)2:44

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Brontë

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1990

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“The Unbeliever” (from “To Sleep”)

Robert Osborne (baritone) & Susan Almasi (piano)4:16

David Leisner

Composer

Elizabeth Bishop

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1995

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“This is my letter to the World” (from “Confiding”)

Sanford Sylvan (baritone) & Patricia Thom (piano)2:40

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Dickinson

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1987

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“The Two Trees” (from “O Love is the Crooked Thing”)

William Alvarado (baritone) & Kate Bowen (piano)5:43

David Leisner

Composer

William Butler Yeats

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“The Wild Swans at Coole” (from “O Love is the Crooked Thing”)

William Alvarado (baritone) & Kate Bowen (piano)4:25

David Leisner

Composer

William Butler Yeats

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“To the Stream” (from “Heaven’s River”)

Courtenay Budd (soprano) & David Leisner (guitar)3:15

David Leisner

Composer

Rabindranath Tagore

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1991

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Tree Marriage” (from “Fidelity”)

Nina Faia (soprano), Anthony Zoeller (baritone) & Terry Decima (piano)2:46

David Leisner

Composer

William Meredith

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1998

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“To Imagination” (from “Confiding”)

Mary Ann Hart (mezzo-soprano) & Jon Klibonoff (piano)5:51

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Brontë

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1990

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“West Wind” (from “West Wind”)

William Ferguson (tenor) & David Leisner (guitar)4:49

David Leisner

Composer

Mary Oliver

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2012

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Wild Needle” (from “West Wind”)

William Ferguson (tenor) & David Leisner (guitar)0:45

David Leisner

Composer

Mary Oliver

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2012

Date

New York

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Wild Nights” (from “Confiding”)

Sanford Sylvan (baritone) & Patricia Thom (piano)2:10

David Leisner

Composer

Emily Dickinson

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

1987

Date

Boston

Location

Used with the permission of the composer

“Yes, What?” (from “Outdoor Shadows”)

Gioia De Cari (soprano) & John Olson (guitar)1:26

David Leisner

Composer

Robert Francis

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2006

Date

Used with the permission of the composer

About

Born and raised in Los Angeles, he moved to the East Coast in 1971 to attend Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where his composition teacher was Richard Winslow. He later worked privately with Virgil Thomson, Charles Turner and David Del Tredici. While his early musical interests involved folk/popular song, choral singing and choral conducting, his talent as a classical guitarist took prominence, and an international career ensued. Although composing was a part of his life since the age of 15, it did not take firmer hold until the period of 1984-96, when Leisner had focal dystonia, a debilitating hand condition that stopped his performance career in those years. During that time, his composition activities increased in amount, breadth and quality. After a remarkable self-induced recovery in 1996, his guitar-playing career successfully resumed, while maintaining consistent activity in composition. From his earliest song efforts in popular music until today, vocal music has played a central role in Leisner’s composition catalog.

While a number of his vocal works are with guitar (which he asserts is a natural and under-recognized combination), many are also with piano, as well as other instrumental combinations. For texts, he turns most often to American poets. Examples are: Confiding (Emily Dickinson, Elissa Ely, Gene Scaramellino and the British Emily Brontë), To Sleep (Elizabeth Bishop), Three James Tate Songs, Fidelity (May Sarton, Walt Whitman, Kenneth Patchen, William Meredith, Wendell Berry, Leslie Marmon Silko), Of Darkness and Light (Wendell Berry) for tenor, violin, oboe and piano, A Timeless Procession (Rosemary Thomas) for baritone and string quartet, Outdoor Shadows (Robert Francis), Simple Songs (Emily Dickinson) and West Wind (Mary Oliver). His songs have found favor with singers worldwide.

He has received composition grants from the American Music Center, the Alice M. Ditson Fund, the New England Foundation for the Arts and Meet the Composer. His works are published by Theodore Presser Co., G. Schirmer, Doberman-Yppan and Columbia Music.

–www.davidleisner.com

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