Commissioning Initiative

Juno-nominated Cris Derksen is an internationally respected Indigenous cellist and composer. Derksen’s composition strength lies in her diversity for all artistic fields including Dance, Theatre, Film, Television, Animation, Fashion, Podcasts, Symphonic, Chamber, Choral, and Installations. In 2022 and 2024 Derksen was the composer for the Canadian Pavilion for the World Expo in Dubai and Japan. Her work on the podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s by Connie Walker and Gimlet media won both a Pulitzer and Peabody. Recent achievements include Carnegie Hall debut, a collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra of new ballet and scoring a National Geographic documentary.

“I’m an Indigenous cellist and composer from Canada; I’m originally from Treaty 8 in Northern Alberta. I always come to my work with an Indigenous lens as it is my perspective. Learning about Rhode Island was quite the trip, so many harsh realities of colonization, war over land and racism. What really shone out at me was how racism takes control over how humans treat other humans. The idea that one race of human can own another race of human because they deem themselves ‘better than’ is frankly appalling, and hard to watch when I am looking at the United States in 2025.

When researching, I found The Wampanoag are a Native American people known as the “People of the First Light” who have lived in Rhode Island from time immemorial. What a beautiful concept, the people of the first light. So comes First Light:

This piece is a reimagining of a runaway Slave Boy Named John Anthony. A runaway ad in 1771, request of any who see “an indented [indentured] Indian Boy… pretty light colour’d”. There is a 3-dollar reward for him. What if John Anthony managed to escape and leave behind a life that was not his and create his own life, reclaim his own light?”

Chronicles of Ghosts: Extraordinary Women of the 16th Century is a journey that bridges the past and present, exploring women’s lives during the Renaissance through storytelling and songs. The narratives precisely showcase these women’s feats and biographical details as recorded in history. The work weaves elements of mythology, quantum physics, mysticism, and historical biography to create a tapestry of connections between different eras, dimensions, and locations. The storytellers, each with a personal relationship with the ‘ghost’ from the Renaissance era they are channeling, convey the legacies of these deceased women. By threading these stories into an exploration of the meaning of legacy, Chronicles aims to illuminate the indestructible nature of human bonds and sorrows that defy the bounds of time itself, as well as pay homage to these extraordinary women who have been mostly forgotten in the sands of time.

In this particular chapter, we delve into the remarkable lives of two trailblazing women: Grace O’Malley, the fearless Irish pirate queen, and Anne Hutchinson, the courageous Puritan spiritual leader who challenged religious orthodoxy in colonial America. Grace O’Malley’s spirit reaches out to Anne Hutchinson through a mystical, time-bending connection, offering guidance, wisdom, and a symbolic “torch of courage” that transcends the boundaries of their respective eras.

Grace O’Malley, renowned for her bravery and defiance in the face of gender norms and English oppression in 16th-century Ireland, becomes a spectral mentor to Anne Hutchinson, who faces her battles against religious persecution and societal constraints in 17th-century New England. The story unfolds through narration and lyrics that capture the essence of their shared struggles and triumphs, highlighting the enduring power of female resilience and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood across time.

As Grace’s spirit prepares to depart, she leaves Anne with a powerful, inspiring message—a call to let her voice ring loud and clear, conquer fear with conviction, and trust in the truth within her. This parting wisdom serves as a reminder that Anne’s journey is not just her own but part of a greater historical narrative. This legacy will inspire generations to come and echo through the annals of time.

“Music, for me, can be a reflection and meditation on the histories of my family and community. My dad happened to be a church kid, growing up in Newport for a time within the Baptist AME church – hearing his stories got me thinking about the people of Newport and the culture of living there versus “having residence.” I became intrigued by the nature of the Breakers, the spirit of the place. I began to gather music from when my dad lived in Newport – historic themes and songs from the Baptist churches he went to in the area, the music of the people that were likely servicing the Breakers, as well as research on the Vanderbilts that lived there and were eventually removed once the place was deemed unlivable. My favorite quote in this research comes from Paul and Gladys Szápáry’s cousin, Jamie Wade Comstock who said, ‘The gilded cage was much more interesting when it still had the birds inside it.’ This strikes me as ironic, given that for much of the time the Breakers existed, it may have been empty, or just for “holiday”… I wonder which “birds” truly enlivened the house…the ghosts of now old money – or – the people who lived in Newport, taking care of the space – another type of ghost, free of that Gilded history.”

– Curtis Stewart

“Not familiar with Rhode Island, I began researching various aspects of the state’s and the city of Newport’s history and came across a fascinating historical figure called Occramer Marycoo, an enslaved African who was ultimately sold to Caleb Gardner in Newport, RI. Marycoo’s was given the name Newport Gardner, after his involuntary home and his enslaver- a name he would keep. Gardner was remarkable because he became quite educated, spoke multiple languages, and became a trained classical musician and composer despite his enslavement. He is credited with being the first African American person to have a composition published in the Western-style. The work was called Crooked Shanks, a whistle-worthy happy tune. After decades of enslavement, he won the lottery, bought his freedom, and became a prosperous man. A beautiful bookend to his life, Gardner did something that relatively few enslaved African’s did: re-cross the Atlantic and return home to Africa, where soon after, he would leave this Earth.  This work is ocmposed for Cuban pianist Aldo Lopez-Gavilan, and inspired by Gardner’s tune Crooked Shanks. This composition is also loosely by African and latin sensibilities, reflecting Garnder’s nad my, and Lopez- Gavilan’s cultural heritage, respectfully. In getting to know Gardener’s journey, I kept gravitating to the notion of traveling, which, along with the perils of the enslaved, the hope of freedom, and the return home, is the extra-musical core of this work.”

– Shawn Okpebholo

“When the Newport Music Festival commissioned me for a piano trio in honor of their 2021 season, I looked for a topic that would celebrate an aspect of the Newport community. While researching the area, I was struck by the nine lighthouses situated around the island. The dual nature of lighthouses was particularly appealing to me: not only do they serve a vital role in the navigation of ships around rocks and land, but they are also a beautiful sight, particularly at night when their blinking beacons are clearly visible to the eye. It occurred to me that lighthouses link the past with the present, and will endure long into the future, with their beacons serving the same purpose for every generation.
I became fascinated with the lighthouse on the property of Castle Hill Inn, located at the opening of the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay. This squat thirty-four foot granite structure was erected in 1890 on a very picturesque spot, right at the water’s edge. Its “characteristic,” the nautical term for each lighthouse’s unique light sequence that allows ships to identify the lighthouse, is to alternate on for three seconds, then off for three seconds. The lighthouse has also served as the starting and finish line for numerous high profile yacht races, as well as survived a massive hurricane in 1938, though the lighthouse keeper’s nearby residence wasn’t so lucky.
American novelist Thornton Wilder wrote much of his 1973 novel Theophilus North while staying at the Castle Hill Inn; a passage from the book perfectly captures the dual nature of lighthouses:”At a later visit I was able to engage the pentagonal room in a turret above the house; from that magical room I could see at night the beacons of six lighthouses and hear the booming and chiming of as many sea buoys.”
In Beacon of the Bay, we first hear the lighthouse’s characteristic as its ruby light blinks on and off. This is followed by a simple theme that represents the lighthouse performing its solitary duty.
As the piece progresses, we hear waves playfully lapping around its base, then yachts gracefully floating by; this is followed by a violent storm that churns the waves with so much force that they crash against the lighthouse’s granite body. But the steadfast lighthouse holds firm to the rocks, grandly blinking its ruby light. The music quiets back down to its simple theme, with yachts sailing by once more as the piece concludes.”

-Stacey Garrop