Juno-nominated Cree cellist Cris Derksen returns to Chamberfest fresh from her Carnegie Hall debut, where she performed her commissioned piece Controlled Burn with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Known for creating “undeniably modern music that mixes folk, classical, dance, and [Indigenous] structures and tunes with electronic beats […]” (MusicWorks), her riveting solo and quartet performances feature drum machines and loop pedals with Powow singers, hoop dancers, and always, cello. Catch her at SAW with singer Rebecca Benson and strings in a performance that braids the traditional and contemporary, weaving classical training and Indigenous ancestry together in the creation of truly genre-defying music.

Rebecca Bensonvoice

Cris Derksencello & composer Cendrine Despaxviolin

Jean Despaxviolin

Maxime Despaxviola