Exciting cellist Cris Derksen is set to share her inventive performance style on Sunday, March 16 at the Cultural Centre.
This young artist is invigorating orchestral cello, playing with world, folk, and electronica influences to produce a blend of the classical and contemporary. Derksen draws great inspiration from her indigenous ancestry, and her appearance in the Main Theatre will be an exhilarating exhibition of cultural collaboration.
The by-donation show includes participation locally from the Spirit of our Communities Youth Group, part of the Aboriginal Children and Families Chiefs’ Coalition.
Derksen, originally from Northern Alberta, is a rising star on the Canadian world music scene, with awards for performances that fuse her training as a classical cellist with modern music and technology. Her unique compositions intricately blend genres and styles, using looping techniques to construct multiple layers and dimensions of sound and weaving her influences into evocative and original soundscapes.
A UBC grad, Derksen holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and shared the title of Principle Cellist in the university’s Symphony Orchestra. Her enormous talents and musical experimentation have led Derksen to transcend genres and styles, and have taken her to perform in venues ranging from Canada’s Symphony Halls to European fringe festivals in Italy, Norway, and the Czech Republic. This broad diversity and appeal forms the fundamental motivation behind Derksen’s experimentation with a classical instrument in a modern environment, as well as a desire to bring the cello into arenas in which it may have previously been unheard.
“When I started this I was trying to create something with the cello that relates to people other than just classical music fans, and make the cello more relatable to people who have never experienced it before,” she says. “There are many aboriginal communities where people have never heard or experienced the cello, so being an aboriginal person I really wanted to try and bring this classical instrument into that new environment.”
Her vision has been a huge success, and through the combination of her classical training, musicianship, and modern slant on producing music, she has gained an eclectic fan-base and a freedom that many artists fail to achieve. Derksen says: “From taking the cello and putting it into different genres I’ve found that it touches a whole bunch of different people. I have a group of aboriginal fans, a group of classical fans, and I’ve found that I’m able to fit in everywhere since I use so many different elements in my music.”
This is a by donation event, and guests can name their price upon entry to enjoy this extraordinary young artist. All proceeds will go towards helping the Cultural Centre continue to bring such creative performances to Chilliwack. Call the Centre Box Office at 604-391-SHOW(7469) or visit www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca to book tickets!
Cris Derksen is generously sponsored by Myriad Information Technology, Department of Canadian Heritage, City of Chilliwack, British Columbia Arts Council and The Province of British Columbia.