On March 15, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performs Cris Derksen’s Controlled Burn alongside the dynamic Alberta-born cellist and composer. The piece, commissioned by Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain with Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, makes its Calgary premiere following its 2024 Montreal debut as well as performances at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Centre, and Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. The work takes its name from and is inspired by traditional Indigenous fire keeping practices that were banned in Canada shortly after Confederation but that have since been accepted as a useful tool in combatting the conditions that lead to the catastrophic fires that have been plaguing areas and communities in North America with ever-increasing frequency.
It’s the latest triumph for the JUNO-nominated artist, who has performed across the globe as a soloist-composer, serves as Artistic Advisor to the Calgary Phil, and has collaborated on such projects as the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast, Surviving St. Michael’s. No matter how high her star rises, though, Derksen, who comes from a lineage of chiefs from the NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s, has remained true to her core philosophy of making music inclusive and accessible to all.
How and why did you come to the cello?
Well, I grew up mostly in Edmonton and there was a string program [at my school]. So, when I was 10, I came home with a piece of paper saying, does your son or daughter want to play violin, viola, cello, or bass? And I wanted to play the bass. I thought the cool kids play the bass. But my mom's car was too small, and so she said, take the next biggest thing.
I love the sound of the cello. It's the [instrument] most similar to the human voice. I played clarinet in junior high and high school and bunch of other things, but really, it’s the cello that allowed me to have my own voice.
You’ve talked about bringing the cello outside of the concert hall and making it more relatable. Could you elaborate?
Being Indigenous, like none of my cousins even knew what a cello was. So, I've always been about making music relatable to my peers. Taking the cello outside of the concert hall and bringing it down to street level was something that I really cared a lot about when I was just starting out – to get rid of the classism that comes with classical music. As I grow and find myself in the classical sphere, I feel like I’m bringing the street level into the classical world as well, bringing all my worlds together.
Your work, which incorporates pedals and loops, is rooted in both classical and electronic music. Another important piece is the Indigenous tradition. How much of an influence is that?
All my music comes from my perception of the world. Being half Indigenous and half Mennonite – I like to call myself a Creeonite – it always influences the work that I do. I kind of look at it as braiding. Braiding all the different layers, such as the traditional and contemporary, classical with the pedals and electronics. Does it sound Indigenous? No. But it doesn't need to, right? If the composer is Indigenous, then the piece is Indigenous.
Beyond composing and performing, you’re involved in several initiatives here in Alberta, including leading the Banff Centre’s Indigenous Musical Gathering. Could you share about that?
The classical Indigenous gathering happens every two years. The fourth iteration was just this past August. It’s really amazing. We had a fully new cohort this year. Classical music can be so stifling -- you have to be so perfect and there's just so many rules to it. I feel like all classical musicians actually need an outlet like this. It’s a little bit of an unpacking of the Western colonial art form; it’s both a support group and a professional development package. Everyone can get new photos and a recording that they can use for grants.
I think it is so necessary. One of the things I say all the time is, I think that orchestras should look and sound a little bit more like Canada. Me doing this work is a way for me to open doors for folks. We now have the language of classical music. We can do it. It's just a genre. It's just another way of expressing. So we’re opening those doors for more folks who are Indigenous to continue to express themselves.
Don't miss this unforgettable performance of Controlled Burn with Cris Derksen and the Calgary Philharmonic on March 15 at 7:30PM. Get your tickets now and experience a powerful fusion of classical and Indigenous musical traditions live at the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons.
