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Dr. Charke completed a Ph.D. in composition and masters in flute performance at SUNY Buffalo where he studied composition with David Felder and flute performance with Cheryl Gobbetti Hoffman. Previous composition teachers include Louis Andriessen, Steve Martland, Paul Patterson and Cindy McTee. Recipient of the NUFFIC grant by the Dutch government, he also received a BMI student composer award in New York City and a special mention from the Kubik Prize for the composition "What do the Birds Think?". Between 2001 and 2005 he was the recipient of a four year Presidential Fellowship, the largest fellowship awarded, at SUNY Buffalo. Derek is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre.

Derek's work "Cercle du Nord III" has been performed by the Kronos Quartet over 30 times throughout Europe and North America, including Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Concert House. His work "Time's Passing Breath" for the Katona Twins guitar duo has been performed in venues across Europe and South America. His music has been performed and commissioned by the Acadia Wind Ensemble, Blue Engine String Quartet, Continuum New Music, Ensemble Symposium, Four Gallon Drum, the Group for Contemporary Music, Helikon Ensemble, Mark McGregor and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa Duo, Saxophilia, Stan Fisher, London Flutes, Society for Chromatic Arts, Quatuor Bozzini, Red Shift Music Society, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Xanthos Ensemble and others. His works have been broadcast internationally and nationally on CBC Radio Two and on Radio-Canada.

Derek has written extensively for the flute. "WARNING! Gustnadoes Ahead" for solo flute and CD was commissioned for the 2008 National Flute Association Convention. His work "Raga Cha" was premiered by the London Flutes in England and has since been performed numerous times throughout Europe and North America. Other works include "Lumière Immobile" for flute and computer (Max/MSP); "Rain", "Straight Ahead", both for solo flute; "Three Duets" for flute and marimba; "Distant Voices I and II" for flute and piano; "Cross-Talk" for flute ensemble; and "Lachrymose" for solo piccolo. For his dissertation he wrote "The Winds of Winter" for solo flute and chamber orchestra.

Background info

Derek Charke was born in 1974 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He spent most of his childhood in Surrey, British Columbia, except for a two year period between 1984 and 1986 when his family lived in Vietnam. He first started composing in Grade 8 at the age of thirteen. His first compositions were written for the Semiahmoo Secondary School Jazz Band. At the time he was a trumpet player but was experimenting with many different instruments, even going so far as playing bassoon in the Surrey Youth Orchestra. During his high school years he became interested in more unusual sounds. Although his Jazz band pieces were fairly standard he wrote many 'classical' pieces, and other experimental works such as a tape piece for manipulated sounds of clarinets, various symphonic sketches and many small studies.

During his undergraduate degree (1992- 1996) he studied composition, trumpet and flute. During this time he performed in the UNT symphony and in his last year became principle trumpet of the UNT chamber symphony. Concurrently he performed on the baroque trumpet and in his last year toured Germany with the UNT Baroque Trumpet Ensemble under the direction of Leonard Candelaria. He moved to London, England in 1996 and 1997 for his Masters degree in composition. Encounters with composer Steve Martland eventually led him to more more cross-over styles of composition. It was after this period of time that he moved to Inuvik, NWT to pursue another growing interest, the arctic.

While in Inuvik (1997 - 1998) he met his wife Pauline. After a year in the north he moved to Holland (1998 - 1999) to study with the famous Dutch composer Louis Andriessen. During this period he composed a large work entitled Netsiksiuvik, which is highly influenced by Louis Andriessen's driving rhythmic minimalism. In 1999 he moved to Vancouver, Canada where he supported himself by doing copy-work.

After two years in Vancouver he decided to pursue a Doctorate degree. This led him to SUNY Buffalo where he studied composition with David Felder and flute with Cheryl Gobbetti Hoffman. During this time (2001 - 2005) he composed many new pieces and had some high profile performances with ensembles like the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Helikon Ensemble. His music was workshopped by groups such as the Arditti String Quartet (England), the Buffalo Philharmonic (USA) and the California Ear Unit (USA). He also obtained a Masters degree on the flute.

Derek Charke was the recipient of the NUFFIC grant by the Dutch government for his studies in Holland (1998 - 1999). He also received a BMI student composer award in New York City (1993) for his work Xynith, the Outstanding Undergraduate Award in Composition from the University of North Texas (1996) and an Honourable Mention from the Kubik Prize for What do the Birds Think? (2002). Between 2001 and 2005 Derek was the recipient of a four year Presidential Fellowship (the largest fellowship awarded) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Charke is currently Assisant Professor of music theory and composition at Acadia University School of Music in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has written compositions for various genres from solo instrument to full orchestra. He has had performances in the USA, Canada and Europe.

In 2006 Mark Hopkins commissioned a work for the Acadia University bands called Song of the Tides. In the fall of 2005 The Kronos Quartet commissioned Cercle du Nord III, a work based on Inuit throat singing for string quartet and soundtrack. "Cercle du Nord III" and selections from his 22 Inuit Throat Song Games for String Quartet were premiered by the Kronos Quartet at the Chan Centre in Vancouver, January of 2006. Kronos has since performed these works around the world from from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Vienna Concert House in Austria. He completed his dissertation in Oct. 2005. He wrote The Winds of Winter a one movement concerto for flute and chamber orchestra. Other recent works include Lachrymose for solo piccolo, Ebb & Evanesce for string quartet, Raga Cha for flute quartet which was premiered by the London Flutes in England.

Derek's music has been performed by:

Derek was hired in 2005 at Acadia University School of Music where he currently is an assistant professor of music theory and composition. Dr. Charke teaches courses in Music Theory, Analysis, Composition and may take on a select number of flute students in the future. He and his wife currently live in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he continues to pursue composition and flute performance along side his teaching duties.