Accordionists & Teachers Guild, International (ATG) present Michael Bridge, renowned acoustic and digital accordionist from Toronto, Canada. He will perform at the 2022 ATG Festival in Chicago Western Suburbs July 20-23, 2022 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild International. He will present a workshop, “Digital Accordion and Percussion” on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Michael’s concert takes place on Friday, July 22, 22 at 7:30 PM at Wheaton College.

Michael Bridge is a 21st-century musical maverick – toppling popular expectations of what it is to be a professional accordionist. He’s a virtuoso performer on both the acoustic accordion and its 21st Century cousin, the digital accordion – an extraordinary piece of technological wizardry that imitates the sound of just about any instrument you can imagine. His concerts capture the energy and panache of stadium rock with the elegance and discipline of chamber music. It all began when Bridge was five and growing up in Calgary. His mom bought him a $5 accordion at a garage sale and Michael was hooked.

Since then he has won numerous competitions in Canada and abroad and was named one of CBC’s 30 under 30 classical musicians. He gives over 100 concerts a year as a soloist and as a member of both the “Bridge & Wolak” duo and “Ladom Ensemble”. He offers lectures and master classes around the world, recently became a Rebanks Fellows at the Glenn Gould School, and received his Doctorate in Performance from the University of Toronto. Bridge & Wolak also give back through an on-line Music Mentorship Program. After performing hundreds of concerts in schools, they are determined to build more meaningful relationships with musically inclined teens.

Michael embraces a musical aesthetic that is alternatively irreverent, deadly serious, meticulously prepared and completely in-the-moment. He’s at home with jazz, folk and classical music. He’s premiered 53 new works. If pushed, he’ll say he likes Baroque music best because of its unforgiving demand for clarity of intent and execution.Ultimately, he aims to make your world more bearable, beautiful and human – even if only for the length of a concert. 

The Festival registration form and hotel information, for members and for nonmembers, can be found at www.atgaccordions.com .
For further information: michael@michaelbridgemusic.com