On Tuesday, April 11, Morning Classical host Cordelia Brown sat down with pianist Maya Tuylieva and saxophonist Nick May ahead of their upcoming concert on Saturday, April 15.
Together, the pair forms the M2 Duo, consisting of piano and classical saxophone. The duo has performed around the country since 2018, including the prestigious Carnegie Hall, and currently collaborates with a number of modern musicians and composers. Individually, both Tuylieva and May are also nationally and internationally recognized musicians.
Originally from Turkmenistan, Dr. Maya Tuylieva won her first music competition at the age of 6, followed by a Turkmen National Television debut at 8 years old. Tuylieva has since completed her undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the University of Kansas and is the recipient of several prestigious performance awards. Her recent endeavors have taken her across both Italy and Japan for multiple concert series.
Nick May's dedication to the integration of the saxophone into classical music has been met with high praise both in the United States and around the world, including performances in Singapore, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Along with these performances, he has also competed and won in several prestigious national and international competitions. May is also the founder of the I Exist Project, which aims to advocate, highlight and celebrate the multi-faceted aspects of queer life, culture and artistry through collaborations with queer composers and artists.
Their KPR performance comes ahead of the pair's upcoming concert with Charlotte House, a unique music experience offering classical concerts in the intimate settings of homes in and around Kansas City. On Saturday, April 15, M2 Duo will make their series debut with Charlotte House, including the premier of Peter Dayton's Sonata, which was commissioned specifically for the duo by the Charlotte House Series. The program will also feature work by Gershwin, Debussy and a special piece composed by Maya Tuylieva's father, Suhan Tuyliyev. More information about the performance and the Charlotte House Series can be found at charlottemusic.org/m2duo.
In case you missed it, check out their performance from the KPR Live Performance Studio below.
