Coo
- Created and performed by Xin Wang with Michael Murphy
- A musical performance for infants and toddlers (6 – 24 months)
- A WeeFestival Commission
Acclaimed vocalist Xin Wang and percussionist Michael Murphy capture the hearts of their very young audiences with this playful and dynamic performance.
Integrating the music of Aperghis, Berio, and Canada’s own acclaimed composer Ana Sokolovic, Coo is performed in an intimate setting with an array of percussion and vocal sounds recalling the bells of a monastery, a street call from southern China, rhythmic repetitions, and “I love you” sung in multiple languages.
Recommended Age
Infants and toddlers (6 – 24 months)
Duration:
30 minutes + 10 – 15 minutes stay and play with instruments
Audience Capacity :
Maximum 12 babies and their caregivers (to a maximum of 50 persons)
Minimim Space Requirement:
15’ x ’15
Lighting: Can be performed in natural daylight or in theatrical venue with basic wash and centre special
Requested access
- Archival video link
- Downloadable pictures
- Technical rider
Wonderful! My two mom friends and I came with our toddlers and everyone sincerely enjoyed the show. What I loved most was the originality of it — I am so grateful that there are artists like Ms Wang who are not afraid to experiment and offer a unique experience to such a young audience. I also enjoyed how intimate and close-up the performance was — an opportunity to connect with the artists in addition to the art. THANK YOU EVERYONE INVOLVED.
Access Information
- Relaxed Performance Format– Our performance welcomes all responses from audience members. WE encourage presenters to prepare ushers accordingly and have FOH at exits to allow audiences to come and go if they need to take a break.
Meet the Artists
Xin Wang was born in Yunnan, a South western province of China. She arrived alone in Canada at the age of 18 to study singing. Her path took her from Winnipeg to Toronto where she settled and built her home of three beautifully loud children and a charismatic husband with many saxophones. Xin is most interested in the mechanism of the singing body and is most stimulated by the learning of intricate music. This has led her to the world of contemporary repertoire. The learning of complex contemporary repertoire has been a gift. These musical puzzles push her towards her threshold while build her up from within, a similar experience as motherhood.
Michael Murphy
Hailed as “excellent” (New York Times, 2022) and “captivating” (Myanmar Times, 2018), Chinese-Canadian percussionist Michael Murphy has toured North America, Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia as a chamber and solo musician. Though having performed in groups such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, his focus is in contemporary music and performance of new works. In Canada, this involves him in groups such as New Music Concerts, Array Music, Soundstreams, and the Esprit Orchestra, and with festivals such as Nuit Blanche, the New Creations Festival, 21C Festival at Koerner, and the Luminato Festival. Internationally, this has brought him on multiple occasions to the 2D2D Festival in the Ukraine and the Darmstadt Ferienkurse für neue Musik in Germany, among others.