Cris Derksen

Cris Derksen is a two-spirit Indigenous Canadian cellist, originally from Northern Alberta. She is part Cree, by her father, and Mennonite by her mother.¹ Derkson’s music might be thought of as a reflection of her multiplicitous racial and gender identity, refusing to be defined by a single genre or style. Derkson is classically trained in cello, but uses electronic tools in her work. She is passionate about expanding and removing the boundaries which construct “classical” music. Derksen describes her musical process, “I’m taking little bits of things that I really love in music, like hip hop, and putting them with classic motifs or with Indigenous pentatonic sounds, and it’s really braiding the traditional contemporary over and over and over again until it becomes something new. It’s the idea that creating art is taking something you love and making it your own, while the braiding never ends. It’s always moving forward.”² Indeed, Derksen’s music is proof that modernity and tradition can not only coexist, but thrive as partners. 

Alongside producing her own albums, Derksen composes for symphony orchestras and festivals.³ Derksen has even contributed to film and documentary work. Her album Orchestral Powwow was nominated for a Juno award in 2016.⁴

In Orchestral Powwow, Derksen mixes and bends varied musical traditions with ease, incorporating primarily western classical music and powwow style vocals and drums. Although the piece was released as an album, it can be performed with a full chamber orchestra, including six Powwow singers and drummers, one hoop dancer, one percussionist, female vocal soloist and Cris Derksen on cello.⁵ During the creation of the piece, Derksen collaborated with powwow groups such as Northern Voice, Black Bear, and the Chippewa Travellers.⁶

Listen to an Interview with Cris Derksen from Music Box:

Footnotes

1. Gail Johnson, “Powwow Meets Classical Music in Electronic Cellist Cris Derksen’s Daring Compositions,” Stir, Oct. 12, 2021, https://www.createastir.ca/articles/cris-derksen-vancouver-symphony-orchestra. 
2.  Ibid.
3.  “About Cris Derksen,” Latitude 45 Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, https://www.latitude45arts.com/cris-derksen. 
4. “Q&A With Aboriginal Cellist Cris Derksen,” UBC, May 7, 2018, https://you.ubc.ca/ubc_stories/aboriginal-cellist-cris-derksen/. 
5.  “Orchestral Powwow,” Latitude 45 Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, https://www.latitude45arts.com/composer-catalogue-2/orchestral-powwow. 
6.  Matt Humphrey, “Cree Cellist and Composer Showcases Orchestral Powwow in Vancouver | CBC News,” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, Apr. 28, 2018, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/classical-powwow-music-cris-derksen-1.4518747.