In a world where classical and contemporary music often seem worlds apart, Stick&Bow, an award-winning cello-marimba duo, is breaking new ground. By pairing their respective instruments, cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado, MMus’13, DMus’17, and marimba player Krystina Marcoux, MMus’13, are redefining boundaries and blending tradition with modernity, captivating audiences worldwide.
Delgado’s musical journey began in Argentina at the age of nine. “I don’t come from a musical family, but my parents always supported me,” he says. His sister played viola, and a cello once owned by a grandfather he never met turned out to be a fit for the young boy.
A scholarship took him to the United World College of the Adriatic in Italy, where he completed his secondary studies and immersed himself in chamber music and cello performance.
That path led him to Boston and eventually to Montreal and McGill, where he pursued a master’s degree in music performance followed by a doctorate in cello performance.
Marcoux grew up in a military family and moved frequently across Canada.
She developed a passion for percussion as a child. “My dad would always drum on the car wheel, and I started hitting things, my ‘drums.’ My mom thought it was a phase, but it never passed,” she laughs.
That fascination with percussion eventually led her to the marimba. It became her primary instrument, offering a blend of percussive power and harmonic richness.
She completed a master’s degree in music recital at McGill’s Schulich School of Music, later extending her studies with a PhD and an artist diploma in Lyon, France, where she focused on theatrical and stage performances.
The duo met and began working together at McGill. Matt Haimovitz, an associate professor at Schulich and an acclaimed cellist known for his adventurous approach to music, encouraged Delgado and Marcoux to explore contemporary music and collaborate with living composers.
“Matt is a very special creature,” says Delgado. “He would do improvisation with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers one week, and the next week he’d be playing in a big hall in Germany with a major orchestra.”
“We want audiences to understand that classical music can be as dynamic and relevant as any modern genre.”
Stick&Bow marimba player Krystina Marcoux
Under Haimovitz’s mentorship, Delgado and Marcoux began experimenting with their unique pairing of cello and marimba. Eventually, they commissioned pieces to develop their repertoire, spanning traditional, classical, and modern musical genres.
Their 2019 debut album, Resonance, features an eclectic mix of tango, classical, and popular music. The duo tackled Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” on the album, along with music by Schumann and Bartók.
“With marimba, you have the power of the drums but the harmony of the piano,” says Marcoux. That unique blend helps Stick&Bow to traverse a wide range of musical landscapes, from the intricate harmonies of Bach to the soulful melodies of Nina Simone to the modern rock of Radiohead.
Ultimately, what sets Stick&Bow apart is their commitment to bridging the gap between tradition and progress. “We play Beethoven, but we also arrange and perform pieces by contemporary artists like David Bowie,” says Delgado.
By commissioning composers to create pieces specifically for them, Stick&Bow keep their repertoire fresh. Notable commissions include works by Grammy nominee Luna Pearl Woolf.
Their performances often include elements of theatre and storytelling, says Marcoux. These marriages of expression create an immersive experience for the audience while allowing for a bit of spontaneity that complements the discipline of their craft.
Since 2019, the pair has been touring widely at home and abroad. Earlier this year, Stick&Bow received a big boost at one of Quebec’s most important musical award ceremonies, picking up awards in two categories at the Prix Opus.
Stick&Bow received the prizes for Outreach Abroad (in recognition of their touring success in countries like France and Italy) and Performer of the Year (previous recipients of that prize include Marc-André Hamelin and Yannick Nézet-Séguin).
They are now touring western Ontario with their latest program, “All the Madmen,” named after the David Bowie song. The show explores the intersection of genius and madness through the works of artists like Beethoven, Bowie, Nina Simone, and Schumann.
“We have the freedom to choose what we want to play, and what we program,” says Delgado. “[We can say] let’s do Nina Simone or Tom Waits, and then Beethoven, and Bach, or whatever we want – which is a huge thing.” The duo plans to record a live album in March 2025, capturing the energy and spontaneity of their performances.
