Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen dead after car crash
The Juno-nominated Cree composer and cellist was known for collaborations with major Canadian ensembles and Indigenous arts leadership.
- Award-Winning Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen died following a car crash in northern Alberta yesterday, while their wife, singer Rebecca Benson, remains in critical condition.
- Originally from Treaty 8 territory, Derksen wove "her classical background and Indigenous ancestry with new school electronics" and frequently collaborated with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
- University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music assistant professor Melody McKiver described the Juno-nominated artist as a "pillar of our Indigenous classical community" and close collaborator.
- Kathleen Allan, artistic director of the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto and Chorus Niagara, noted that Derksen's work challenged audiences to "take meaningful action to create change."
- In a Facebook tribute, Theresa Johnson, Derksen's aunt, remembered her niece as an "extraordinary, gifted, radiant" artist whose "profound legacy and enchanting music will perpetually uplift.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Renowned Indigenous Canadian cellist and composer Cris Derksen dead in car crash
A renowned Indigenous Canadian cellist and composer has died in a car crash in Northern Alberta. Cris Derksen, 45, was reportedly returning from her father's funeral when the collision occurred. From Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta, Derksen came from a line of chiefs from the NorthTall ...
Aboriginal cellist and composer Cris Derksen, who was named Juno Prize winner, died.
Cris Derksen, an Aboriginal cellist and composer nominated for the Juno Awards, died. AIM Booking Agency, which represents Cris Derksen, announced in a message posted on social media that she had lost her life in a car accident, but did not give more details about the accident. A biography of Cris Derksen on the [...]
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