Michael Ward-Bergeman is a performer, songwriter, and composer widely celebrated for creating the hyper-accordion, an acoustic instrument he designed with an extended range and dynamic expressive capabilities. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he is recognized for bridging various global styles, drawing profound links between Roma gypsy traditions and African-American blues.

His custom hyper-accordion has been featured prominently in the compositions of Osvaldo Golijov. Ward-Bergeman has also premiered electro-acoustic works at Carnegie Halland, in 2011, was commissioned by Yo-Yo Ma to compose for the Silkroad Project. Beyond his classical and orchestral collaborations, he is a founding member of the North American roots trio Groanbox, which has released five recordings.

Known for his tireless “have accordion, will travel” ethos, his innovative career highlight was the GIG 365 project in 2011, where he performed at least one gig for every day of the year across nine countries, ranging from correctional facilities to Harvard University.