Derek’s music has been described as “inventive”, “rich textured”, “full of colour”, and imbued with “drama and rhythmic vitality”. Tending towards post-minimalist techniques, he creates works with a depth and intensity that often juxtapose moments of extraordinary tranquility. Ecological sound, field recordings, and electronic sound play important roles in many of his compositions.
Commissioned by world renowned artists such as the Kronos Quartet, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Katona Twins, and the National Flute Association, his music has been performed across North America and Europe, and has been heard in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Dr. Charke is Co-director of the annual Acadia New Music Festival ‘Shattering the Silence’, an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. Read more...
Excerpt from Symphony no. 1 performed by Symphony Nova Scotia
