Golijov World Premiere in Phoenix

World premiere rehearsal with Phoenix Symphony (l to r): Osvaldo Golijov (composer), Jamey Haddad (percussion),
Jeremy Flower (laptop/electronics), Michael Ward-Bergeman (accordion), Kayhan Kalhor (kamancheh)

Read Phoenix Symphony conductor Michael Christie's blog on the piece -here-

Daytrotter Session with Christina Courtin

Tracks from the Daytrotter Session featuring Christina Courtin from a while back have been posted. Ryan Scott on guitar, MJWB on accordion. Listen here: Daytrotter Session

Aspen Times Review

Tablas, banjos and hyper-accordions do not usually appear on programs at the Aspen Music Festival, but what a refreshing and dazzling change of pace they provided this week. The sheer virtuosity of masters such as Zakir Hussain (tabla), Béla Fleck (banjo) and Michael Ward-Bergeman (hyper-accordion) puts them in that rarefied place where classical finds harmony with the rest of the musical world.

Read the entire review here: Exotic sounds in the Aspen Music tent

Livingston Sessions

Livingston Sessions, the fourth release from Groanbox has been getting rave reviews. Click here to read.

Review of Chicago's MusicNOW Concert

Featuring the music of John Luther Adams, Osvaldo Golijov and Michael Ward-Bergeman on March 15, 2010.

"Ward-Bergeman’s sonorous hyper-accordion sung resonantly over a string quartet, as arranged here by Golijov, in the cinematic score of Patagonia".

Read entire review here:

Chicago Classical Review

Chamamé in Federal, Entre Ríos

Michael attended the 35th annual Festival of Chamamé in Federal, Entre Ríos, Argentina in February. His appearance was documented here (scroll down a bit):

In the original Spanish:

¿Y DÓNDE ESTÁ MICHAEL?

Google translated into English:

And where is Michael?

Azul Reviews from Toronto

Energetic performers highlight composer's Azul, leaving the listener wanting more.

The four-movement work was bursting with lyricism, youthful energy and magical orchestration. The accordion played a fascinating, wizard-like role in the early movements, its unusual tone (sometimes processed electronically) mediating between the sounds of different sections of the orchestra, sometimes benevolently, sometimes warping their aural identities.

from 25 Feb 2010
Toronto's Globe and Mail Newspaper

Read entire review:

Globe and Mail Azul