Miles Morrisseau
ICT
Cris Derksen, Cree and Mennonite composer and cellist, was killed in a car crash following services to honor her recently deceased father on May 15.
Derksen, 45, was returning from Slave Lake, Alberta, where funeral services were held for her father, Bernard Meenan, who had once served as chief of their community of Tall Cree First Nation.
According to early police reports, Derksen and her partner were travelling south on Highway 44 when a north bound vehicle crossed the line and crashed into them head on. Both drivers were taken to the hospital. Derksen was pronounced dead at the scene. Rebecca, Derksen’s wife, remains in critical condition.
RCMP Cpl. Matthew Howell told 660 NewsRadio that officers responded to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 44 near Township Road 684.
“The initial call stated that a northbound SUV crossed the centre line and collided with a southbound SUV,” he told the Calgary based radio station. “The passenger of the southbound SUV was declared deceased on scene.”
ICT will use she/they pronouns for Derksen as it was self-verified on IMDbPro.
Derksen arrived onto the national music scene with her groundbreaking collaborations with Inuit singer-songwriter Tanya Tagaq.
“Where do I start? We were so young. Baby musicians. You’ve been part of my life for so long. You danced so hard you broke your foot, twice,” Tagaq posted. “I miss you already. All our crazy adventures. The music. You helped me when my daughter was injured. I wish you were here still. I love you cris”
One of the defining works of a career cut way too short will be their classical meets Indigenous traditional masterpiece Orchestral Powwow.
Rob Todd aka Tribal Spirit was producer on the recording which included the powwow drum group The Chippewa Travellers.
“Cris was a bright light in any room,” Todd told ICT in an email. “She was so passionate about creating music that she effortlessly blended a cello with a powwow drum group, which is not an obvious collaboration. Cris travelled with a musical inspiration that created magic.”
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew worked with Derksen during his former career as a television broadcaster.
“I am very sad to hear the news about Cris Derksen. They were a wonderful person and extraordinary talent,” Kinew posted. “They scored the TV series ‘8th Fire,’ which was instrumental in my broadcasting career, and I felt increasingly invested in their work ever since. Cris will be missed. My sincere condolences to their family and friends.”
Derksen had worked most recently with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of their composition, “Still Here.”
“Just weeks ago, we witnessed the incredible world première of Still Here at Roy Thomson Hall,” posted the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “Cris had a remarkable ability to listen deeply to people’s stories and transform them into something meaningful and shared. She approached this work, and everyone involved in it, with extraordinary compassion, curiosity, and care. Our hearts are broken for Cris’ family, loved ones, collaborators, and community. Her music will remain with us.”
Derksen loved creating and collaborating and will be missed by many friends and colleagues they made during their musical journey such as Dene singer and songwriter Leela Gilday.
“I love you forever my friend. Been wrapped up in my own grief and I only texted when your dad passed. I should have called. Of everyone I should have known life is short and unexpected,” posted Gilday. “At least I have these 25 years of memories of a beautiful person in my life. RIP you absolutely world class devastatingly kind and ultimately talented alien. Life is fucking unfair. Listen to her music people!!!!!!! What fire she gave to our world.”
Derksen has a number of performances in the country’s capital of Ottawa at the National Arts Centre.
“Cris brought a powerful and unmistakable voice to contemporary music, weaving together classical training, Indigenous traditions, and electronic innovation. Their work resonated across the country and around the world,” the Centre posted. “Here at the NAC, we were honoured to welcome Cris as part of Matriarchs Uprising, where they performed with the Cris Derksen Quartet alongside a remarkable community of Indigenous artists. Cris was also an important part of NAC-led artistic programming for the Canadian Pavilion at World Expo in Dubai (2022), and in Japan (2025), where they served as composer.”
Renowned trans singer-songwriter Beverly Glenn Copeland offered their condolences.
“We are so very saddened to hear of Cris Derksen’s tragic passing. I hold the memories close of our collaboration with Queer Songbook Orchestra in 2017,” posted Glenn-Copeland. “Elizabeth and I are sending prayer to all those who loved Cris, especially to their family. Cris was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”
Derksen performed with 15 different symphonies and chamber orchestras across Canada and had been commissioned by prestigious ensembles such as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Thunder Bay Symphony, and Orchestre Métropolitain. In 2022, they were composer for the Canadian Pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai and again in 2025 at the World Expo in Osaka. Derksen had their Carnegie Hall debut in 2024 performing with Orchestre Metropolitan and Yannick Nézet-Séguin with their piece Controlled Burn. She worked with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and in 2026 wrote a 75 Minute Ballet Cikilaxwm: Controlled Burn for Ballet Kelowna with Indigenous Choreographer Cameron Fraser-Monroe.
“I feel so brilliantly blessed to have spent so much time dreaming, laughing, and playing together. And I am especially grateful that we brought Cikilaxʷm into the world, now. There are few people brave enough to push boundaries in the classical form, and even rarer are those that can bump into those jagged edges with your softness and care,” posted Fraser-Moore. “This was only the beginning, and I know your music will continue to uplift and inspire people for a long time to come.”
Annemarie Leenhouts-Petrov, president and chief executive officer of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, expressed the shock the news spread across the music world in Canada. “The news of Cris Derksen’s sudden death in [a] motor vehicle accident has stunned the music world,” stated Leenhouts-Petrov. “A trailblazing cellist and composer, Derksen created a unique musical sound blending classical music with traditional Indigenous music.”
Derksen was represented by AIM Booking Services who shared their grief online.
“At AIM, we are devastated by the loss of someone who was so much more than a client—she was family. We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to her family, loved ones, the Indigenous arts community, and everyone moved by her incredible work,” they posted. “Thank you, Cris, for sharing your light, your fire, and your music with us. You left an indelible mark on this world, and your song will echo in our hearts forever.”