Biography:

Cris Derksen (1981 – May 16, 2026) was a Canadian Cree two-spirit Juno Award–nominated cellist and composer from Northern Alberta. Derksen was known for her unique musical sound which blends classical music with traditional Indigenous music. Her music is often described as “electronic cello” or classical traditional fusion.[1]

Background

Derksen, born in 1981,[2] hailed from the North Tallcree reserve in Northern Alberta and had dual Cree and Mennonite heritage. She attended Victoria School for the Performing Arts in Edmonton and was trained in classical music from an early age. She received a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at the University of British Columbia. During her time at UBC, she held the position of Principal Cellist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra.[3]

Derksen was killed in a traffic collision in Northern Alberta on May 16, 2026. She was 45.[4]

Career

In 2009, Derksen was the curator in residence at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. She traveled and performed internationally in numerous countries including: Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Czech Republic, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States. She performed with the Beat Nation Live Collective, Kanye West, Kinnie Starr, Tanya Tagaq, Rae Spoon, and traditional powwow groups.[5]

In 2015, the Orchestral Powwow Project album of Derksen was produced in partnership with the independent record label Tribal Spirit Powwow.[6] During the making of this album, Derksen utilized Tribal Spirit’s library of powwow music as a resource and incorporated some of the traditional music found in this library in her project.[7] Also in 2015, Derksen was mentored by American musician Buffy Sainte-Marie as part of an Ontario Arts Council grant.[3]

In 2017, Derksen performed at the Annual Public Meeting of the Canada Council for the Arts with the Cris Derksen Trio which, along with her, consisted of drummer Jesse Baird and dancer Nimkii Osawamick.[8]

In 2019, the Art Gallery of Ontario commissioned Derksen to create a new choral work inspired by the Early Rubens exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario.[9] Also in 2019, Derksen composed Maada’ookii Songlines, a choral work featuring 200 singers as part of the Luminato festival.[10] Alongside Christine Tootoo and Jamie Griffiths, Derksen was part of a 2019 performance piece called Ikummagialiit, that was commissioned by the National Gallery of Canada as part of the Àbadakone exhibition on Indigenous art.[11]

In 2020, Derksen performed as part of CBC Gem‘s Queer Pride Inside special.[12]

Credits: