Cris Derksen, a renowned Cree cellist and composer, is being remembered as a trailblazer who served as a pillar of the Indigenous classical music community.
Derksen, 45, died in a highway crash in northern Alberta. Reports from friends and family say Derksen was fatally injured Friday driving home after attending the funeral of their father in Tallcree First Nation, near Fort Vermilion, Alta.
“It is with profound, shattering sadness that we share the news of the sudden passing of our dear friend, client, and visionary artist, Cris Derksen, following a car accident,” Derksen’s AIM Booking Agency said in a statement Sunday morning.
Derksen was acclaimed across Canada and internationally as a composer and performer, bringing their music to stages across the world.
A ‘foot in many worlds’
Derksen, a two-spirit artist originally from Tallcree in Treaty 8 territory in Alberta, provided audiences with unique, genre-defying compositions.
A classically trained cellist, Derksen’s music was a blend of classical string music, electronica, folk and traditional Indigenous songs.
Derksen’s arrangements, which often feature traditional melodies and powwow drums and chants, won acclaim for pushing the boundaries of classical music and opening the genre to new audiences.
In a memorial statement issued Sunday, the National Arts Centre praised the internationally respected musician for bringing “a powerful and unmistakable voice to contemporary music, weaving together classical training, Indigenous traditions, and electronic innovation. Their work resonated across the country and the world.”
Derksen, who was of dual Cree and Mennonite history, saw music as a powerful tool for storytelling, connection and advocacy.
The National Arts Centre described Derksen as a composer with a “foot in many worlds,” with music that weaved together a “classical background and Indigenous ancestry with new school electronics to create genre-defying music.”
Kathleen Allan, artistic director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and Chorus Niagara, says she recently worked with Derksen and Derksen’s death has left many devastated.
Allan said Derksen’s music challenged audiences to listen more deeply to one another, and to take meaningful action to create change beyond the concert stage.
Derksen was attracted to music at a young age, learning to play the piano after first begging their parents for a flute. Derksen began playing cello with the Edmonton Public Strings Program at age 10 and attended the Victoria School for the Performing Arts in Edmonton for high school.
Derksen went on to gain a bachelor of music in cello performance from the University of British Columbia where she held the position of principal cellist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra.
In its tribute, the UBC School of Music wrote that Derksen was a powerful advocate for Indigenous artists in classical music who has made an “extraordinary impact” on contemporary music.
Fellow musician Melody McKiver described Derksen as a pillar of the Indigenous classical community and a critical contributor to the work of the Banff Centre.
“I don’t even know how to process this. One of my closest friends, most important mentors, co-conspirators, pillar of our Indigenous classical community,” McKiver said.
Derksen’s career began taking off around 2006 when she performed the music festival circuit alongside Tanya Tagaq. Soon, she became a fixture of Canada’s symphony stage.
Derksen composed numerous symphonic and theatrical works, including Orchestral Powwow and her internationally acclaimed Controlled Burn, which was featured heavily by symphonies across Canada.
The composer also collaborated closely with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra for many years.
In a heartfelt tribute, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra CEO Mark Turner spoke of Derksen’s immense talent and the indelible mark they left behind.
He said he was lucky enough to be in her orbit as a collaborator and friend.
“So many music lovers cried themselves to sleep last night. We messaged each other with our collective disbelief that Cris is gone,” Turner wrote.
“Much should be said about Cris’ exceptional artistic genius. As a composer, as a performer, as a mentor, she was special.
“A friend with an immense generosity of the human spirit. A calm level head, a warm laugh, a true leader without ego, and a full heart. In this awful moment, what I am struck by is not only how many people had been touched by Cris, but that it’s clear the profound impact left on each of us.”
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The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra issued a statement saying Derksen’s work carried “strength, emotion, and connection,” leaving a lasting impact on audiences, musicians, and communities across the country.
“Our hearts are with Cris’ family, friends, collaborators, and the wider music community mourning this tremendous loss. Her voice and music will continue to resonate far beyond the stage.”
In an interview with CBC News in 2024, Derksen said her work was about creating connections, and that she hoped her music would help connect Indigenous and queer creators with the rest of the classical music community, over their shared love of the medium.
“I think in the composing world, it’s easy to feel like you’re quite alone. And this is a way to open that relationship and open the doors,” she said.
