Matthew's Blue is a tribute to the artistry of Chinese-Canadian painter Matthew Wong, recorded and performed inside his solo exhibition at the AGO, Matthew Wong: Blue View. A site-specific work conceived by acclaimed choreographer Emily Cheung, and featuring the original music composed and performed by cellist Tony K. T. Leung and dancer Zachary Caldwell, the performance showcases by Wong’s stunning masterpieces and his melancholy. The abstract movements further amplify his inner state of loneliness and solitude. Cheung works alongside AGO media producer Abbas Saifee to produce this moving, touching and heartbreaking tribute to Matthew Wong.

Little Pear Garden Dance Company. Inspired by the rich and diverse tapestry of Chinese dance, the Company has created an acclaimed and powerful body of work that encompasses both the classical and contemporary productions, warmly received by audiences of all ages and cultures. The Company is actively involved in many projects of dance development and promotion and has enjoyed a consistent presence in festivals, performing seasons and tours. 

Emily Cheung is an educator, performer and choreographer. She received her B.F.A., B. Ed. and M.A. from York University specializing in Dance. Ms. Cheung is the Artistic Director of Little Pear Garden Dance Company in Toronto. She is recognized as one of the leaders in cross-cultural exchange and liaison with foreign artists practising traditional and contemporary Chinese dance in Toronto. Cheung is involved in preserving traditional Chinese dance, creating contemporary dance that honours Chinese traditions, and collaborating with artists from other disciplines and ethnic backgrounds to create works with unique aesthetic sensibilities.

Tony K.T. Leung is a Canadian composer/cellist, whose music has been performed internationally by leading contemporary music ensembles. Born in Hong Kong, Tony discovered music through his first instrument, the erhu, and later the cello. As a youth, he arranged music for a Chinese orchestra, which sparked an early interest in western music and composition. After decades of primarily acoustic works, his current compositional interest is a humanistic synthesis of forward technology and natural acoustics.

Zachary Cardwell is a teacher, choreographer, and dancer interested in cultivating connections within ourselves and between one other. A graduate of the Arts Umbrella Post-Secondary Dance Program, Vancouver, BC, under the direction of Artemis Gordon, Zachary has had the pleasure of performing works and excerpts by choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Marie Chouinard, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Sharon Eyal, James Kudelka, and Aszure Barton, among others. During his tenure with the Arts Umbrella Dance Company, Zachary toured Holland performing in the ITS Dance Festival and Netherlands Dans Theatre & Korzo’s Shortcuts XL. In Toronto, Zachary has had the privilege to dance with Toronto Dance Theatre, Zata Omm Dance Projects, Dusk Dances, Little Pear Garden Dance Company, hART dance, Jane Alison McKinney, ACE dance theatre, Cadence Ballet, Nostos collective, and The Garage. In 2019 and 2020, Zachary facilitated and presented In Response: An Evening of Music and Dance.