Summit – September 16, 2023 LiveEvents September 9, 2023 779 Orchestre Métropolitain presents Summit Bruce Liu made history at the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition for being the first Canadian to be awarded First Prize. Now he’s returning home to tackle more spirited repertoire: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The first notes of the season will be from composer Cris Derksen. In its world premiere, Derksen’s piece creates a space where classical and electronic music encounter the Cree Nation worldview. JUNO-nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous cellist and composer. In a world where almost everything — people, music, cultures — are labelled and slotted into simple categories, Cris Derksen represents a challenge. Originally from Northern Alberta, she comes from a line of chiefs from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s. Derksen braids the traditional and contemporary, weaving her classical background and her Indigenous ancestry together with new school electronics to create genre-defying music. Under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the OM will continue its Sibelius symphonic cycle with Symphony No. 2—a masterpiece with tempestuous ambiance, in the spirit of Finnish resistance and dramatic climes. Program Cris DERKSEN, World Premiere, Commissioned by the OM RACHMANINOFF, Piano Concerto No. 2 SIBELIUS, Symphony No. 2 Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 7:30pm Maison Symphonqiue To purchase your tickets visit: www.placedesarts.com