Wayne Bergeron played with the Lake Effect Jazz Big Band at the 2022 South Haven Jazz Festival on September 16, 2022.

Wayne Bergeron is enjoying a career as one of the most sought-after musicians in the world. Studio sessions, film dates, international touring, jazz concerts, guest appearances, and clinics keep him busy not only in his hometown of Los Angeles, but worldwide.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1958, Bergeron came to Los Angeles at age one, so considers himself a native Californian. Originally starting on French horn, he switched to trumpet in seventh grade and found he had natural upper register ability. Bergeron credits his junior high and high school teachers, Ron Savitt and Bob Smith, for molding his talent into practical working skills.

Bergeron first caught the ear of many when he landed the lead trumpet chair with Maynard Ferguson's band in 1986. Bergeron can be heard on Maynard's recordings of Body and Soul, Big Bop Nouveau, Brass Attitude, and The One and Only Maynard Ferguson. Bergeron demonstrates daily why Maynard remarked, “Wayne is the most musical lead trumpet player I've had on my band.”

As a sideman, Bergeron's list of recording credits reads like a who's who in contemporary jazz and pop, running the stylistic gamut from Ray Charles to Green Day. Other names include Beyonce, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, The Dirty Loops, Seth MacFarlane, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Seal, Diana Krall, Tito Puente, Christina Aguilera, Dianne Reeves, Michael Bolton, Earth Wind & Fire, The Pussy Cat Dolls, My Chemical Romance, The Mars Volta and many others.

Bergeron has worked on over 400 TV & motion picture soundtracks. A partial list of film credits include The Incredibles 2, La La Land, Wreck it Ralph 2, Crazy Rich Asians, The First, Smallfoot, The Predator, Sing, Moana, Frozen, Rocky Balboa, Bridge of Spies, Get On Up, Toy Story 3, Monsters University, Planes, Despicable Me 1 & 2 and numerous others.

Bergeron's passion for big bands has led to his inclusion in some of Los Angeles' most well-respected bands. He has recorded and played with Quincy Jones, Gordon Goodwin, Arturo Sandoval, Pat Williams, Sammy Nestico, Jack Sheldon, Chris Walden, Tom Kubis, John La Barbara, Bob Florence, Ray Anthony, Bill Watrous, and Bob Curnow.

After being behind the scene for so many years, Bergeron stepped out on his own with his first solo effort, You Call This a Living? This debut project earned him a Grammy nomination in 2004 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble, as well as rave reviews from fans and press worldwide. Bergeron's second CD, Plays Well With Others, released on the Concord Jazz label in 2007, was met with the same acclaim. Bergeron's most current CD, Full Circle, was released in January of 2016. Bergeron feels this is his best work to date.

Bergeron is a National Artist for the Yamaha Corporation of America and is co-designer of the YTR-8335LA trumpet and YFH-8315G Flugelhorn. Bergeron also designed a series of trumpet mouthpieces with Gary Radtke of GR Technologies that are available through Bergeron's website.