UC Riverside Department of Music presents:

Nick May and Alex Li: You, Me Us: A Celebration of Queer Music for Saxophone and Piano

Join Kansas City based duo, Nick May (saxophone) and Alex Siu Lun Li (piano) for a performance of queer composed works reflecting on queer culture, history, and narratives, as part of the I Exist Project. Learn more at https://www.nickmaysax.com/i-exist-project.
 

BIOS:

NICK MAY

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). 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 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.

Nick May is an endorsing artist for Key Leaves and Légère Reeds and performs on Yanagisawa saxophones. www.nickmaysax.com

ALEX SIU LUN LI

Born and raised in Hong Kong, pianist Alex Siu Lun Li is based in Kansas City, where he combines different music and presentation media to connect composers with audiences. Alex holds two Master's degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one in solo piano and one in collaborative piano. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Piano Performance at UMKC.

As a collaborative pianist, Alex frequently coaches and performs with singers and instrumentalists both in and out of conservatories settings. Recent projects include the I Exist Project with saxophonist Nick May, bringing music by LGBTQ+ composers to more than 20 universities and conservatories around the United States, including the Manhattan School of Music and Peabody Institute.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

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