Biography | long version
Noted for “quicksilver grace” (Fanfare) and for “outstanding performances” (Classical Guitar), Nathanael May is an American pianist inspired by the music of our time. He has presented recitals in the United States, Europe, and the Near East, and frequently collaborates on a wide range of genres; from new art song with the Florestan Recital Project, to music for multi-media/improvisation with DJ Spooky. May has presented research on piano music of the modern era at the World Piano Conference and the Euro-Mediterranean Music Conference. Additionally, he has been invited to give piano master classes in Turkey, Serbia, the Netherlands, and Italy.
Nathanael is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the "soundSCAPE Composition And Performance Exchange", a festival celebrating the creation and performance of new classical music, held each summer in Italy. www.soundSCAPEfestival.org Established in 2005, the festival has attracted over 180 participants from 25 countries, resulting in the premieres of over 200 new works. He is also active in championing new works for the Strung Out Trio, of which he is a founding member. The trio consisting of piano and Duo 46 on violin and guitar, was awarded a 2011 Barlow commissioning grant. Also in 2011, Nathanael was presented with the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts with Honors from Kansas University, and a Masters in performance from the Eastman School. Nathanael currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Piano at Missouri Western State University, in Saint Joseph.
pictured: outdoors at the Istanbul Archaelogical Museum