Global Instruments, Local Hands
Evansville Arts Coalition is pleased to host world-touring artist Michael Ward-Bergeman bringing his collection of instruments
gathered from cultures around the globe to Evansville Arts Center for one immersive evening on Friday, September 18.
See the collection up close and play alongside the artist in the first half, then after intermission, settle in for a full concert performance.
Michael Ward-Bergeman is a performer, songwriter, and composer whose work draws on a wide range of musical traditions.
As an accordionist, Ward-Bergeman has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Gustavo Santaolalla, and leading orchestras throughout North America. He has appeared at the international TED Conference and served as a visiting artist at Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, and other institutions. He was featured on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic.
Ward-Bergeman’s compositions have been commissioned by Carnegie Hall and the Silk Road Ensemble. He has performed on dozens of recordings and film soundtracks, including music for films by Francis Ford Coppola. His arrangement and performance of “St. James Infirmary Blues” with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble appeared on their 2016 Grammy Award-winning album, Sing Me Home.
His current projects include Ritmo Machino, an accordion/percussion collaboration with Jamey Haddad and Cyro Baptista; Center of the River, an Americana art-music ensemble; Triad, a trumpet/marimba/accordion trio; Touki, a world music collective; and a collaboration with Iranian kamancheh player Kayhan Kalhor. His collaboration with Dakota flute player and National Heritage Fellow Bryan Akipa will premiere in November 2026 at the University of Minnesota.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Ward-Bergeman is a recipient of the 2026 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Musicians, administered by MacPhail Center for Music.
This is a rare opportunity to see, hear, and touch instruments from around the world, guided by an artist who has spent his career collecting them.
Tickets are intentionally limited to support this immersive experience.
Tickets are $28 and may be purchased here.
The performance begins at 7:00 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.