Composer, conductor and educator born in Perú, resides in New York.

Bernales is a recipient of the ACE (New York Latin) Extraordinary Award 2011 for best original music for the play ‘Oh!Yantay’ performed by Rasgos Group, and of the ‘Micky Award’ for best Music Director for a broadway musical community production in New Jersey.

Bernales obtained his Queens College Master Degree in Music Composition studying with Thea Musgrave, herself a student of world renowned teacher Nadia Boulanger.  He also studied conducting with maestros Tom Zelle and Maurice Peress. He has written and performed music for the theatre (IATI, Repertorio Español, La Tea): ‘La Gringa’, ‘What a Christmas’,  'The Magical Ruana', 'The Green Book', 'The Fox, the Mole and the Moon', ‘Oh!Yantay’; for TV & Radio: NBC’s Hispanic Heritage Awards 1997-98, 1380 AM, Pacific Radio 1125 FM, HITN (Hispanic Television Network).

Bernales’ works have been performed by the ‘Americas Ensemble’ of Julliard, the ‘Mannes College Orchestra’, 'Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra'. He has performed at the BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Hunter College's 'Kaye Playhouse', Baruch College's 'Nagelberg Theater', United Nation's ‘Dag Hammarskjold’, Queens College's ‘Lefrak Concert Hall’, ‘Queens Flushing Town Hall’, Baruch College’s ‘Nagelberg Concert Hall’, Rutgers University of New Jersey, NJCU. Bernales has been featured by IATI’s theatre PAM (Performance Arts Marathon) 2010,  2011 and 2013 and was commissioned to write original music for IATI's 50th anniversary.

As a conductor, Bernales had been the assistant conductor/pianist of Metro Chamber Orchestra, a professional orchestra based in Brooklyn and the Lead Conductor of  Classical Fusion Chamber Ensemble, a NY based orchestra. As an educator he has led presentations on the power of music and sound during his term as Artistic Director of Peace of the Green Forest and has written some original scripts and music for the after school program Pachamama Peruvian Arts during his term as its Artistic Director.

chronicle of events

2024

2023

• “A Multicultural Journey” the vocal and instrumental works of Carlos David Bernales Vilca. World Premiere of “Afro Peruvian Suite for Strings and Percussion Ensemble”, “Masa for solo Tenor and choir” among other pieces spanning over 30+ years of compositional activity. Over 15 musicians on stage.

2021

• Trio piece “Leaves” for Piano, Soprano, and Viola played at the Paul Hall of the Juilliard School in Manhattan, New York

2020

• An Evening of Music and Dance from LatinAmerica, Venezuela, Italy and Germany - St Teresa Church in Manhattan, New York

• Core Ensemble: “Tres Vidas” - Waynesburg, Pennsylvania

• William Musto Cultural Center: “Warmis” - Union City, New Jersey

2019

• St. Bartholomew Church: “Hispanic Day Gala Concert” – Manhattan, New York

• Brooklyn Academy of Music(BAM): Metro Chamber Ensemble – Manhattan, New York

• Queens Library: “The Moon, the mole and the fox” – Manhattan, New York

• Barnard College: “Warmipura” – Manhattan, New York

• NYU Skirball Auditorium - “Condor Pasa - New Andean Hope” UN Orchestra & Chorus – Manhattan, New York

2018

• IATI Theater 50 year anniversary: The Return of the Bards’ – Manhattan, New York

• Columbia University, SIPA Department: “Peruvian Folkloric music and dance” – Manhattan, New York

• Spanish Benevolent Society of NY: “Meditation and Music” – Manhattan, New York

• United Nations: Peruvian Fusion with multi instrumentalist Lito Bringas – Manhattan, New York

• Pearl Studios: “Fragancias” with soprano Alexandria Borrero – Manhattan, New York

• Shetler Theaters: “Compiano” with composer/pianist Pablo Ruíz – Manhattan, New York

2017

• Opera America: “Latin American Relief Concert” with several artists – Manhattan, New York

• IATI Theater: ‘La Ruana; Spanish Benevolent Society of NY: Latin American Music Concert – Manhattan, New York

2016

• IATI Theater “The Green book of the City” and “Little Red Riding Hood” – Manhattan, New York

• Cornelia Street Cafe: Peruvian Music with Sylvia Falcón – Manhattan, New York

2015

• IATI Theater: Latin American Poetry Festival – Manhattan, New York

2014

• Opera of New York: “Gala Recital” – Manhattan, New York

• CUNY: “Camerata Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra” – Manhattan, New York

2013

• Institute Cervantes: “Play Loud: Chamber Music” – Manhattan, New York                                        

• IATI Theater PAM (Performance Arts Marathon): “New York: One State. Many Nations” – Manhattan, New York

2012

• Theater Play: “Transit” 7 monologues – New York                                    

• Guacamolink “The frogs and the arrogant snake” – New York

2011

• IATI Theater: ‘A day in the forest with Little Red Riding Hood’ – New York           

• Nagelberg Theatre of Baruch College – Manhattan, New York

• IATI Theater: Performance Arts Marathon 2011. Peruvian Music Concert with soprano Sylvia Falcon – Manhattan, New York

2010

• San Marcos University of Lima, Perú: Contemporary Argentinian & Peruvian Music Concert Tour of ‘Oh!Yantay’ with Rasgos Group at Cervantes Institute at New York: New York Theatre Stage Fest; La Tea Theatre; At Perú: Aguas Calientes Square, Machu Pichu, Qosqo; Urubamba Square-Sacred Valley of the Incas, Qosqo; Peruvian-American Cultural Institute – Lima, Perú

• IATI Theater: Performance Arts Marathon: ‘Inka Trail’ – New York

2007

• La TEA Theater & St. Marks Church: “What a Christmas” – Manhattan, New York

2006-2010

• Pachamama Peruvian Arts, Artistic Director

2004

• Peruvian National Conservatory. Original works for Chamber ensembles – Lima, Perú

1997-1998

• NBC’s Music profile for the recipients of the Hispanic Heritage Awards 

1996

• Repertorio Español production of “La Gringa” – Manhattan, New York