COMPOSERS
The music for ONE DEATH IN SEVEN DOORWAYS is composed through a collaborative process—Suzy and each Sam have a dedicated composer for their solo instrument. This creates a unique sound for each emotional journey. As Lead Artist, Licity works closely with each composer while giving them freedom to score the text according to their inspiration. Overture, ensembles, and Suzy's arias are composed by Licity, giving an overall unifying tone to the experience.
Libretto by Licity Collins
Music by Collaborative Composers: Licity Collins, Stephen Montalvo, Kennedy Verrett, Mendel Lee, Nicole Buetti, Laura Kuhlman, Myriam Audin, and Sammy Rat Rios.
Licity Collins Creator / Librettist
Suzy / Voice + Electric Guitar
Described by NPR as “Courageous. Writing and singing full-frontal.” A multidimensional genre-busting artist, Licity creates music, word, and art experiences designed to ignite fearlessness in the blood of her audiences.
Stephen Montalvo Sam / Saxophone
Stephen Montalvo is an active composer and performer of acoustic and electronic music, as well as audiovisual installation artist, based in New Orleans, LA. Through his music, he explores concepts related to resonance and rhythmic interplay, works to promote equity in artistic experiences by creating agency for performers and audiences, and draws inspiration from social, ecological, and political concerns. He is a Take Notice Fund Awardee for 2023, a program by the National Performance Network recognizing artists of color in Louisiana, and his works have been performed throughout the United States by artists and ensembles including Longleash, trumpeter and technologist Alexandria Smith, the Portland Percussion Group, mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen, the Rhythm Method String Quartet, Bent Duo, and the Talea Ensemble, as well as internationally at the Osaka University of Arts Electronic Music Festival.
Kennedy Verrett Sam 1 / Double Bass
Kennedy Verrett uses his experience as a film, concert, and aleatoric composer to create innovative work that challenges the audience to reexamine their usual mode of appreciation. Kennedy has performed with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra and Fullerton Woodwind Quintet, bassoon and contrabassoon. His piano, didjeridu and duduk can be heard on various soundtracks.
Mendel Lee Sam 2 / Metal Percussion
Mendel Lee is currently the Founding Executive Director of nienteForte Contemporary Music, a member of the Rhythm X, Inc. Board of Directors, a composer and performer with Versipel New Music, and a former Assistant Director of Tulane Bands. Mendel has earned recognition as a VCCA Fellow and a National Performance Network (NPN) Take Notice Fund grantee. His work has been featured nationally and internationally, most recently with the World Expo 2020 Dubai, New Music on the Bayou, the Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, and the National Performance Network Annual Conference Artist Showcase. His music has been described as “finding the right balance between minimalist… [static] space and forward motion and trajectory” and as a “…virtuosic tour de force…[whose] attention to melodic and lyrical content and the creative use of glissandi result in a unique addition to the repertoire."