Biography
A committed chamber musician, May is a founding member of Latitude 39, a trio with violinist Diana Seitz and pianist Maya Tuylieva dedicated to programming that bridges Turkmen, Ukrainian, and Azerbaijani traditions with contemporary repertoire. Their upcoming releases on Navona Records further expand the ensemble’s presence in the global new-music landscape.
May’s critically acclaimed discography includes releases on Neuma and Albany Records, with forthcoming recordings as a featured soloist with conductor Dr. Todd Nichols and the Eastern Wind Symphony (Mark Custom Records). His debut album, Tone Studies: The Saxophone Music of David Maslanka, helped establish his reputation as an interpreter of major contemporary works. Additional appearances include The Chamber Music of David von Kampen and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Jazz Orchestra’s The Good Life.
As the founder of the I Exist Project, May leads an innovative artistic initiative that celebrates queer life, culture, and creativity through performance, collaboration, and the commissioning of new repertoire. His album You, Me, Us was praised by AM:plified Magazine for its “dialogue about visibility… music that fights, heals, and celebrates,” affirming his role as an artist whose work blends activism with musical expression. His advocacy-driven collaborations extend to leading queer cultural institutions — including NoDivide KC, LA Pride, and upcoming work with the Harvey Milk Foundation — reflecting a commitment to community impact, representation, and creative partnership at a national level.
A sought-after educator, May has given masterclasses, performances, and residencies at major conservatories and universities including the Manhattan School of Music, the Peabody Institute, Harvard University, UC Davis, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Denison University, the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and the University of Oklahoma, among numerous others. His teaching and lecturing cover performance, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and LGBTQ studies. He holds degrees from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (B.M.) and the University of Kansas (M.M.).
Nick May is an endorsing artist for Key Leaves and Légère Reeds and performs on Yanagisawa saxophones.
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Saxophonist NICK MAY is recognized as “a highly expressive, virtuosic, and fresh performer” (David Del Tredici, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winner) whose artistry “knows no boundaries, neither technically nor emotionally” (AM:plified Magazine). Since making his solo debut at eighteen with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, he has established an international profile with performances across the United States, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, including multiple solo appearances at Carnegie Hall.
May is frequently featured as a soloist with orchestras and contemporary-music ensembles, among them the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Arapahoe Philharmonic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Tallgrass Chamber Choir, the University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. His collaborations span many of today’s leading and emerging composers—Jennifer Higdon, Kevin Day, Rex Isenberg, Ingrid Stölzel, Spencer Arias, Stuart Beatch, and Iván Enrique Rodríguez among them—resulting in numerous premieres and a growing catalog of works written for him.