Interview with David Leisner

In advance of his concert on October 18, we had the opportunity to interview our special guest artist David Leisner, hosted by SLCG's Dan Rubright! Mr. Leisner tells Dan about the program he has prepared for St. Louis and answers other questions about his path to composing classical music, what he would tell his younger self, and more.

David Leisner is the guitarist who almost wasn’t. A promising career was derailed by focal dystonia in the 1980s, but Leisner discovered ways to regain the use of his hand. He now teaches both guitar and muscle training for musicians. A composer and virtuoso player, he is co-chair of the guitar department at Manhattan School of Music.

This interview will be part of a series conducted by SLCG for the 2025-26 Guitar Masters Series.