Lyon Leifer, the American Basuri vadak is a senior disciple of the late Devendra Murdeshewar in the tradition founded by the Late Pannalal Ghosh. Shri Leifer recently made highly successful appearance at Sur Singar Samvad’s Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan, Sangit Mahabharti and other venues in Mumbai. He was also recently profiled in Abhiyaan, the Gujarati music magazine (issue of January 6, 2006).

Lyon Leifer began studying bansuri in 1965 when, as a Fulbright Student, he was accepted as a disciple of the late Devendra Murdeshwar. Shri Leifer had already been trained in Western classical flute at the Juilliard School of Music and been a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. passing in 2000. From virtually the start of Shri Leifer's training, he began to perform Hindustani music in public. His bansuri has found ready acceptance on stages in New Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere.

Mr. Leifer is affiliated with Sangit Mahabharati, Mumbai, where he both teaches flute and receives further training in aspects of Hindustani music from Pt. Nayan Ghosh. Shri Leifer lives in Chicago where he continues to perform both Hindustani and Western music and to teach flute. He has also performed in locales including England, Cuba, Venezuela, China, Turkey, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He also authored the book, How to Play the Bansuri: A Manual for Self-Instruction Based on the Teaching of Devendra Murdeshwar,

His CD recording of Bloch's "Suite Modale" for flute and strings, with the Chicago String Ensemble on the Centaur label has received national attention and frequent airplay. Mr. Leifer has also recorded on the Music of the Baroque, Cedille, Southport and Rasa Music labels. He has won numerous awards including scholarships at Juilliard, a renewed and extended Fulbright Student Grant, a senior fellowship of the American Institute of Indian Studies, grants from the Illinois Arts Council and Chicago Artists Abroad, and the 2005-06 Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship. Mr. Leifer has also offered master classes in venues including Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Istanbul, Caracas, and Barbados.