Fernando began his musical exploration on guitar at the age of 14 under the tutelage of our very own Wayne Estes. He made the jump to bass guitar two years later after seeing Victor Wooten play with Bela Fleck & the Flectones. Through Wayne, he began playing with the high school jazz band and learned to love the compositions of Mingus, Kenton, Ellington, and other greats.

Fernando continued his studies at Shepherd University under Duane Botterbusch and David Marsh, for both classical and jazz bass studies, as well as with Brett Lemley and Dr. Kurtis Adams. While at Shepherd he had the privilege to perform in Germany, Austria, Spain, and in the Czech Republic. He has performed with Hal Galper, Tim Hagans, Gary Hobbs, Dr. Kurtis Adams, and Nathan Lincoln DeCusatis.

Fernando is a freelance bassist, bass guitarist, and private teacher in the tri-state area. He enjoys playing jazz in various duos, trios, and quartets as well as the newly formed Shepherdstown Big Band. He especially enjoys seeing his students grow as musicians and realize their potential.