Cris Derksen

Cris Derksen
Born	Alberta, Canada
Nationality	Cree, Canadian
Education	Bachelor of Music
Alma mater	University of British Columbia
Occupation	Musician
Website	http://crisderksen.virb.com

Cris Derksen is a two-spirit Juno Award–nominated Canadian Indigenous cellist from Northern Alberta. Derksen is known for her unique musical sound which blends classical music with traditional Indigenous music. Her music is often described as "electronic cello" or classical traditional fusion.

Derksen is from North Tall Cree reserve in Northern Alberta, Canada, she has both Cree and Mennonite heritage. She attended a performing Victoria School for the Performing Arts in Edmonton, Canada and was trained in classical music from an early age. She received a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at the University of British Columbia. During her time at UBC she held the position of Principal Cellist with the UBC Symphony Orchestra.

In 2009 Cris was the curator in residence at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. She has traveled and performed internationally in numerous countries including: Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Czech Republic, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States. She has performed with the Beat Nation Live Collective, Kanye West, Kinnie Starr, Tanya Tagaq, Rae Spoon, and traditional pow wow groups.

In 2015 Cris' Orchestral Powwow Project album was produced in partnership with the independent record label Tribal Spirit Powwow. During the making of this album Cris utilized Tribal Spirit's library of powwow music as a resource and incorporated some of the traditional music found in this library in her project. In the same year, Cris' was mentored by Canadian musician Buffy Sainte-Marie as part of an Ontario Arts Council grant.

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