Michael Bridge

Biography

Michael Bridge is a musical maverick. He’s a virtuoso performer on both the acoustic accordion and its 21st Century cousin, the digital accordion. His concerts capture the energy and panache of stadium rock with the elegance and discipline of chamber music. He’s at home with classical, contemporary, jazz and folk music and has premiered over 60 new works.

He received his doctorate in accordion performance from the University of Toronto and was a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School. He gives 100 concerts a year as a soloist and as a member of Bridge & Wolak and Ladom Ensemble, and is in high demand for masterclasses around the world. In 2023, he gave the Canadian premiere of Sofia Gubaidulina’s landmark accordion concerto, Fachwerk.

Dr. Bridge is a tireless career mentor to young musicians and lectures internationally on topics related to the music business—including touring, production, negotiation, grants, finance, and cross-border activities for Canadians performing in the USA.

Bridge & Wolak’s creative output (with Dr. Kornel Wolak) includes shows like Bach to Benny Goodman, which has toured in all Canadian provinces and the majority of US states, and Tangorium—an original tango-fusion show for full orchestra, clarinet and accordion soloists, and video projections. Both shows are represented by Cadenza Artists (New York). Most recently, Bridge & Wolak created the Music Mentorship Program in collaboration with Queen’s University—a 6-week online course for high school students to explore career opportunities in the arts.

His research and creative projects have been funded by SSHRC, OGS, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, the Sylva Gelber Foundation, a Rebanks Family Fellowship, and Massey College Fellowships.

Michael’s passion project and side-hustle is creating original sounds for digital accordions, which have been sold in 25 countries.