Michael Ward-Bergeman

Artist, Concerned citizen, Filmmaker, Idea generator, Musician, Performer, Producer

Michael Ward-Bergeman is a passionate performer, songwriter and composer. His sensitive and creative approach to music making has led to performances and collaborations with world-class musicians and composers from across a wide range of genres. Michael aims to remain faithful to the spirit that unites many of the world’s richest music traditions while continuing to develop his own unique voice. Ward-Bergeman started his musical training on piano and violin, but it was his devotion to the accordion and music technology that led him to create a 21st century version of the instrument he dubbed the hyper-accordion. He is currently designing a reimagined acoustic “accordion.” The air is pumped from a pair of bellowshoes through a keyed airbox. Whistles, reeds in gourd resonators, bells and other objects driven by the air are set into motion and sound by the directed “wind” exiting tubes connected to the airbox. Everything hangs from the player’s body, as if perched on the branches of a walking tree. Mr. Ward-Bergeman has focused on working closely with senior musicians of the New Orleans jazz and brass band traditions. A concert recording and film documenting this work entitled The Saints and Sinners of Jackson Square were released in 2020. The documentary toured the international film festival circuit in 2021. He is currently involved with numerous projects including Ritmo Machino, an accordion/percussion collaboration with master percussionists Jamey Haddad and Cyro Baptista, Americana Art music group Center of the River, trumpet/marimba/accordion trio Triad, and a collaboration with Iranian kamancheh player Kayhan Kalhor. He recently appeared with the Los Angeles Opera performing Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack live to the 1931 Spanish Dracula movie. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music.