Bernardo Couto

Bernardo Couto (Lisbon, 19 December 1979) is one of the most virtuous guitarists today. He started playing Portuguese guitar at the age of 14, with guitarist Carlos Gonçalves as his master. Later, he studied the instrument with Paulo Parreira, Ricardo Rocha and Pedro Caldeira Cabral.

He graduated in Law, studied at the Conservatory of Music and, in 2004, he started playing at "Mesa de Frades", in Alfama.

Since then, Bernardo Couto has become one of the most sought after guitarists of today, accompanying numerous artists, such as António Zambujo, Camané, Cristina Branco, Carminho, Ana Moura and Raquel Tavares, touring the stages of countries like Spain, France, Holland, Denmark, Chile, Argentina, Hong Kong, etc.

With guitarist José Peixoto and double bass player Carlos Barretto, Bernardo Couto is part of the Lisbon String Trio. Together since 2013, they edited their first album, “Matéria”, in 2014, and with this first record they won the Carlos Paredes Prize awarded by the Vila Franca de Xira City Council.

In 2016 the Lisbon String Trio published “Lisboa” and with this work, in addition to continuing to perform throughout the country and in some festivals abroad, they are nominated for Best Album - Prémio Autores 2017, awarded by the Portuguese Authors Society.