Krissy Bergmark               

Krissy Bergmark is a tabla player, percussionist, improviser, and educator who centers her creative work on bringing tabla to new genres and cross-genres through composition and performance with a grounded understanding of the traditions of the instrument. Bergmark has received commissions and grants through the Cedar Commissions, the Jerome Foundation, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the Minnesota State Arts Board for her tabla studies and compositions for tabla, percussion, and strings. She attended the International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at Banff Center for Arts and Creativity in 2018, and Silkroad Ensemble’s Global Musician Workshop in 2016. She composes and performs with her progressive folk trio Sprig of That, who released their debut original album “bloom” in early 2023, produced by Wes Corbett and engineered by Grammy-winning engineer Dave Sinko. Krissy has shared stages with artists like Vijay Iyer, Ingrid Jensen, and Tyshawn Sorey, as well as Abigail Washburn and Charlie Parr, and a variety of other artists in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Chicago, and New York. As a cohort member of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians, Krissy premiered What is It Time For? with duo commission partner Tara Kannangara in June of 2023.  Her current solo project, titled Body of Water, explores the juncture of epigenetic inheritance and body memories through sound, visuals, and physical sensation to tell the story of her family and present-day manifestations of its history in her life. Her debut album, an in-studio improvised work entitled Everything's Glacial Shine, is set to be released in early 2024. 

As a passionate educator, Krissy has developed and presented workshops across the country with partner organizations like Carnegie Hall, Minnesota Public Radio, and the Mile of Music Music Education Team.  She has created and presented workshops and masterclasses on the language of tabla and improvisation, and is currently developing and presenting workshops on Creative Care and Intentional Artistic Practice in Chicago. Bergmark is a professor of music at Oakton College, and she studies tabla with Pandit Yogesh Samsi in the Punjab Gharana. You can stay updated on her latest recordings, projects, and performances via www.krissybergmark.com,  Facebook, and Instagram.