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The passing of Canadian Indigenous cellist and composer Cris Derksen has been reported following a car accident in Northern Alberta on May 15. She was 45 years old.
Reports indicate that Derksen was in the passenger seat heading home after her father’s funeral. Her wife, singer Rebecca Benson, suffered serious injuries in the crash and is currently hospitalized.
Born in 1981, Derksen grew up on the North Tallcree Reserve in Treaty 8 territory in Alberta, Canada. Her paternal lineage included chiefs from the reserve, while her maternal side had Mennonite homesteaders.
Throughout her career, she performed as a soloist-composer with 15 different Canadian orchestras and was chosen to compose for the Canadian Pavilion at both World Expos-Dubai in 2022 and Osaka in 2025.
She made her debut at Carnegie Hall in 2024 with the commissioned piece Controlled Burn alongside Orchestre Metropolitan and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In 2026, she composed Cikilaxwm: Controlled Burn for Ballet Kelowna, collaborating with Indigenous choreographer Cameron Fraser-Monroe.
Cris also held positions such as artistic advisor for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and chair of the equity committee for Orchestras Canada. She founded the Indigenous Classical Gathering at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
The cello quartet First Light that she wrote for Galvin Cello Quartet was featured as Premiere of the Month in The Strad’s July 2025 issue.
Cris was represented by AIM Booking Agency, who shared news of her death on social media along with heartfelt tributes:
‘It is with profound, shattering sadness that we share the news of the sudden passing of our dear friend, client, and visionary artist, Cris Derksen, following a car accident yesterday.
‘To know Cris was to know a force of nature. She was fiercely authentic and deeply generous, and she brought an uncompromising spirit to everything she touched.
‘Her art was a reflection of her soul: poignant, powerful, grounded in heritage, and relentlessly innovative.
‘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.
‘Thank you, Cris, for sharing your light, your fire, and your music with us. You left an indelible mark on this world; your song will echo in our hearts forever.’
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