Orchestral Music Meets Mental Health: CAMH Clients Collaborate on New Work with Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Art of Healing program brings the World Première of a new piece by Indigenous composer Cris Derksen—shaped through workshops with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis clients of CAMH—to Roy Thomson Hall on April 30 and May 1, 2026.
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) are proud to present the culmination of a recent chapter in the Art of Healing program, a multi-year creative collaboration that brings together composers, TSO musicians, and CAMH clients in the development of music rooted in lived experience. STILL HERE, a new piece by Indigenous composer Cris Derksen, shaped through sessions with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis clients of CAMH’s Shkaabe Makwa centre, receives its World Première at Roy Thomson Hall on April 30 and May 1, 2026, performed by the TSO.
A Collaboration Shaped by Lived Experience
Art of Healing was developed in 2022 through a partnership between the TSO and CAMH that was anchored in community engagement. Under the guidance of CAMH’s Shkaabe Makwa centre for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis wellness, and its Communications and Partnership team, the program was designed to reflect the organizations’ shared commitment to exploring innovative and culturally grounded approaches to mental health and well-being. Since the program’s launch, multiple cohorts of CAMH clients, during a series of facilitated workshops, have shared their stories, memories, and creative ideas, which have informed the musical languages and structures of new works, written by Indigenous composers and performed by the orchestra.
The process has built a space for connection, cultural reflection, and creative expression. The inaugural Art of Healing composition—Ian Cusson’s Ikiru—was premièred by the TSO in June 2024. Now Derksen’s STILL HERE takes centre stage. “It is a piece about humanity,” she writes, “living in cities, being surrounded and feeling alone, finding the magic in the mundane, getting excited about getting somewhere, feeling the empathy of humanity, the rhythm of the streets, pausing the chaos to listen to the sounds of our urban birds cousins, remembering where we came from,” and more. She dedicates it to “all who feel alone surrounded by others.”
The Culminating Performance
The World Première of STILL HERE will be presented as part of the following TSO concert program:
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
Apr 30 & May 1, 2026 at 7:30pm
Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe St.)
Elim Chan, conductor
Lukáš Vondráček, piano
- Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3
- Cris Derksen: STILL HERE (World Première/Art of Healing Program Commission in Partnership with CAMH)
- Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9
To request media tickets, please email mediaseats@TSO.CA.
To purchase tickets, visit TSO.CA, call 416.598.3375, or visit the TSO Patron Services Centre (145 Wellington St. W., Suite 500).
Art of Healing: Phase Two
Building on the tremendous success of its first three years, Art of Healing has now entered an exciting new phase. This season, the partnership is supporting clients in CAMH’s Youth Addiction and Concurrent Disorders Service (YACDS)—which provides specialized care for youth experiencing substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges—and the AMANI provincial network, a program dedicated to advancing culturally grounded mental health services for Black children, youth, and families across Ontario.
Running from January to June 2026, this iteration of the program has been designed to provide unique avenues for youth to learn, interact, and creatively express themselves. Participants are working alongside two TSO musicians—Principal Flute Kelly Zimba Lukić and Double Bass Christopher Laven—and composer Andrew James Clarke (with Ian Cusson acting as Program Advisor) to develop an original piece. Prior to the TSO’s World Première performance of the new work at Roy Thomson Hall on January 8 and 9, 2027 (as part of the Rhapsody in Blue program), a chamber version will first be performed at CAMH, on June 8, 2026, as a preview for participants, their families, and the broader CAMH community.
“Art of Healing demonstrates the role an orchestra can play in the life of a city—bringing people together, amplifying voices, and creating space for reflection and healing through music,” says Mark Williams, Beck Family CEO of the TSO. “The première of STILL HERE represents the culmination of three years of collaboration with CAMH and Shkaabe Makwa, and we are proud to carry this work forward. The next phase of the program will continue to open doors for youth and communities to shape new music through shared creativity and lived experience.”
“Together with the TSO, we are proud to support a partnership that creates a compassionate and inclusive space for youth to connect and create through music and to truly experience the art of healing,” says Lori Spadorcia, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Partnerships and Chief Strategy Officer at CAMH. “As a partner, we celebrate this unique opportunity to support the mental health and well-being of young people in our community.”
About the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has played a fundamental role in shaping and celebrating Canadian culture. The TSO’s commitment to musical excellence and ability to spark connection remain as strong as ever. With a storied history of acclaimed concerts and recordings, Canadian and international tours, and impactful community partnerships, we are dedicated to engaging and enriching local and national communities through vibrant musical experiences. Music Director Gustavo Gimeno brings an expansive artistic vision, intellectual curiosity, and sense of adventure to programming the 93-musician orchestra that serves Toronto—one of the world’s most diverse cities. As a group of artists, teachers, and advocates who share the belief that music has the power to heal, inspire, and connect people from all walks of life, we engage audiences young and old through an array of community-access, health-and-well-being, and education initiatives including the TSO-affiliated Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra—a tuition-free training program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Canadian artists. Symphony With Us at a concert at Roy Thomson Hall, or experience the TSO in your neighbourhood. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.
About the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
The TSO acknowledges Mary Beck as the Musicians’ Patron in perpetuity for her generous and longstanding support.
The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO.
The TSO’s Education and Community Engagement programs are generously supported by the Barrett Family Foundation.
The Art of Healing program is generously supported by Sun Life.
The TSO is grateful for the support of the Toronto Symphony Foundation and all levels of government, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario.
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