It all started in Portugal, back in 2001.
Awarded in 2018 with the 2nd Prize at the 73rd Geneva Competition, following his 1st Prize at the 2017 Ghent International Competition, at the age of 29 Vitor Fernandes is recognized as one of the leading clarinetists of his generation.
Vitor started his musical studies at the age of 7 by being part of a small wind band in his hometown in Portugal, a practice that was and still is very common in this country.
Over the past few years, Vitor has been performing all over the world as a soloist and with various chamber music groups in places such as Paris, London, Berlin, Geneva, Zurich, Venice, Lima, Mexico City, Seoul, Hong-Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore, Beijing, Dubai, Ljubljana, Sofia, etc.
Passionate about teaching, Vitor has been guest teacher at the National Taipei University of Arts, National Taiwan University of Education, Korean National University of Arts, Beijing’s Central Conservatory, School of the Arts Singapore, and teaching in numerous festivals all over Europe and South-America.
He has performed as a soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic, Kammerorchester Basel, Banda Sinfónica Portuguesa, L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Orquestra de Câmara de Cascais e Oeiras, Gyor Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Symphonic Band of the Belgian Guides, Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, The United Nations Orchestra, among others, playing concertos ranging from Mozart and Spohr to Tomasi, Nielsen and Ticheli.
He has also played as a guest member with the London Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, SWR Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Bergen Philharmonic and Opéra de Lyon.
Vitor has recorded for the Portuguese National Radio and Television, Radio Television Suisse, France Musique, Bartók Radio Hungary and National Radio of Slovenia.
In 2018, after finishing his Master’s Diploma at the Haute École de Musique de Genève, he was awarded with the Sih-Woo Cardinaux-Chang prize.
In 2020, he finishes his Diplôme de Soliste with distinction and honors from the jury.