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 Eastern Wind Symphony, 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, Gary Kulesha, 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, underscoring his deep commitment to expanding the expressive and artistic potential of the saxophone.

 

A committed chamber musician, May is a founding member and soprano saxophonist of the Zeza Trio, an innovative ensemble with violist Jacob Clewell and pianist Sasha Bult-Ito that is dedicated to redefining the boundaries of classical music and expanding possibilities for the medium. Upcoming Zeza collaborations and recordings include works by Gary Kulesha, Christos Hatzis, Aaryn S. Ricuicci-Hill, Guillaume Connesson, among others.

 

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 Masters). 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.

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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 recently released album You, Me, Us, in collaboration with pianist Alex Siu Lun Li, 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 the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America, among others — as well as to upcoming work honoring the legacy of icons Harvey Milk, Julian Eltinge, and Billy Strayhorn, reflecting a commitment to community impact, representation, and creative partnership at a national level.

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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.).

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Nick May is an endorsing artist for Légère Reeds, Key Leaves, and Bambú; he performs exclusively on Yanagisawa saxophones.

 

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