Krissy Bergmark               

Krissy Bergmark is a tabla player, percussionist, improviser, composer, and educator whose work centers on bringing the tabla into new and unexpected contexts through creative collaboration and genre-fluid composition. With a grounding in the traditions of the Punjab Gharana and a deep commitment to honoring lineage, her artistic practice expands the role of the tabla across contemporary, improvised, experimental, and folk-rooted musical worlds.

Bergmark has been recognized widely for her creative contributions, receiving awards, grants, and residencies from organizations including the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Art Omi, Avaloch Farm, Saga på Rott (Norway), and the Cedar Cultural Center. Her international studies with world-renowned tabla maestro Pandit Yogesh Samsi—supported by multiple grants—and her time at Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop and the Banff Centre’s International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music have deeply shaped her musical voice and collaborative approach.

Her ensemble work includes the progressive folk trio Sprig of That, where she is a founding member and composer; the global-improvised trio Decolage with Simone Baron and Adi Meyerson; and Conjured in the Night, a free-form, rhythm-forward trio with tap dancer/percussionist Melissa Almaguer and flutist Samantha Kochis. With Sprig of That, she released Eight Threads (2020) and the group’s debut original album bloom (2023), produced by Wes Corbett and engineered by Grammy-winning engineer Dave Sinko. She is a cohort member of Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³), through which she premiered What Is It Time For? with collaborator Tara Kannangara in 2023. Bergmark performs extensively across the U.S. in cross-genre settings spanning creative improvised music, contemporary chamber music, and progressive folk.

Krissy’s own creative output spans over 15 years of composition, including works premiered at the Ear Taxi Festival, the Cedar Cultural Center, Northern Illinois University, and the Banff Centre, and by ensembles such as Matra, Sprig of That, and Arcomusical. Her current solo project, Body of Water, is an immersive exploration of epigenetic inheritance, bodily memory, and personal family history, supported by international residencies in Norway and the US. Her debut solo album of in-studio improvised works, Everything’s Glacial Shine, will be released in 2025.

A devoted educator, Krissy teaches at Oakton College and has developed and led workshops for organizations including Carnegie Hall’s Audience Engagement Intensive through Ensemble Connect, Minnesota Public Radio’s Class Notes, the Mile of Music Education Team, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, and multiple Percussive Arts Society chapters across the Midwest. Her teaching practice spans the language of the tabla, improvisation, creative process, and intentional artistic practice, offered to students ranging from young beginners to professional musicians.

Bergmark holds a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Northern Illinois University. She continues her long-term study of the tabla with Pandit Yogesh Samsi.

You can stay updated on Krissy’s latest work, recordings, and performances at www.krissybergmark.com, Facebook, and Instagram.