Bernardo Ferreira Wins the Prémio Jovens Músicos

Bernardo Ferreira is from Covilhã and is the winner of the Paulo Gaio Lima Prize (2023) and the Helena Sá e Costa Prize (2022). He holds a master’s degree in performance from ESMAE – Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo in Porto and began the Master of Performance program at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in Zurich in February under the guidance of Thomas Grossenbacher. He is a founding member of the Cecilia Quartet, a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, and a guest performer with the Remix Ensemble at Casa da Música.

The Prémio Jovens Músicos is jointly organized by the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP (via the Antena 2 channel) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Held annually, it recognizes outstanding talent and the artistic development of young performers across various disciplines and age groups, and is considered one of Portugal’s most prestigious music competitions. The expert jury for the 2026 cello category featured a distinguished panel of judges: Sérgio Neves, Teresa Valente Pereira, and Jed Barahal.