Born in Viana do Castelo, he began studying violin at the age of five at the Conservatório de Música Calouste Gulbenkian in Braga.
After obtaining a diploma in specialized artistic education, he joined the class of Eliot Lawson and Ilya Grubert at the University of Minho in Braga where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree. After completing his studies in Braga, he joined the class of Sergiu Schwartz at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne – Site de Sion and obtains the a Master’s degree in Concert Performance. Parallel to his studies in Switzerland, Bernardo began regular work with Yair Kless at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Italy, and was later funded by GDA foundation to attend an annual course with Kalisz Sahatçi in Rome.
He won honorable mentions in the Paços Premium – Higher Level competition and in the Fernandes Fão Academia de Música International String Competition, 2nd prize in the Vila Verde Music Competition (in trio) and 3rd prize in the Cidade do Fundão International Competition – Higher Level.
Bernardo collaborated, among others, with the Orchester de Chambre de Lausanne, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Opera Lausanne in projects that allowed him to tour throughout Switzerland and Bhutan. More recently, in Portugal, he has collaborated with Orquestra da Costa Atlântica, Orquestra Clásica de Espinho and Gulbenkian Orchestra, among others.
He has also developed other projects, having been part of the board of the Sinfonietta de Braga Musical Association, which stands out for creating various cultural activities in the city of Braga. Bernardo’s involvement with this association has extended to several areas, including the development and management of the first two editions of the Arcada Festival, an event that has gained prominence in the panorama of string instruments at national level, with de presence of great names in teaching and performance from both Portugal and Europe.