Pedro Mestre is from Aldeia da Sete (Castro Verde) and has dedicated his life to Traditional Alentejo music, developing several projects in this area as singer, Viola Campaniça player/builder, instrument he learned to play with the masters, Manuel Bento and Francisco António.
• He's founder of choirs from Alentejo, rehearses them and incorporates some, namely “Group Coral and Ethnographic – Os Cardadores” from Sete, Coral Group Female “As Papoilas” from Aldeia do Corvo. These groups make part of ACA - Alentejo Cante Association “Os Cardadores”, which presides. Pedro Mestre is also part of a Singers Ranch from Aldeia Nova de São Bento.
• He integrates various musical projects at national and international level with emphasis on: “Grupo Viola Campaniça”; the traditional Cante Group “4uatroAoSul”; Rastolhice Group; “Encontro de Violas (Meeting of Violas) – Viola Campaniça e Viola Caipira - Pedro Mestre e Chico Lobo”; “Les Voix Du 7 Sóis” Festival Orchestra - “Sete Sóis Sete Luas”; Campaniça Trio; Cantadores do Sul; Coral Cante Group enCantos;
• Participated and promoted the musical shows “O Homem que à Terra Canta – Vozes, Violas e Guitarras”, “Festejos da Terra” and “Vozes Que Cantam Cultura” sponsored by (en)Rede - International Network of Municipalities for Culture.
• In 2012 he directed the show Gerações do Cante – Alentejo Solidário (Generations of Alentejo Traditional Singing - Solidarity in Alentejo), sponsored by the INATEL Foundation, in partnership with the cities of Beja, Almodovar and Serpa. This idea served as a motto for holding another show “Alentejo Canta em Duas Gerações” (Alentejo Sings in Two Generations), under the musical direction of Pedro Mestre and promoted by the Viola Campaniça Productions, which evokes the genuine polyphony of Alentejo, through a meeting of generations.
• Since 2006 developed the project “Cante nas Escolas” (“Traditional Alentejo Singing in Schools”), as a traditional Alentejo music animator in schools of the 1st cycle of basic education at Almodovar and Serpa. Within this context emerged the Grupo Coral Juvenil de Almodôvar (Coral Youth Group of Almodôvar) and Grupo de Cante Juvenil de Vila Nova de São Bento (Youth Cante Group of Vila Nova de São Bento), both formed by students who attended the project.
• In 2009 began a course of Alentejo Cante in Serpa Senior Academy. Within this context founded a choir made up of students.
• In 2015 he edited the first CD solo "Campaniça do Despique", distinguished whith premium Carlos Paredes 2016.
• In 2017 he edited DVD of the concert "Pedro Mestre & Convidados" in Centro Cultural de Belém, in Lisboa.
• Along with the music, he dedicates to ethnographic collection, already having a considerable audiovisual set, where the immaterial culture is highlighted. Within this context has worked in some pieces including: Viola Campaniça, O Outro Alentejo (The Other Alentejo) - José Alberto Sardinha (2001); Tocadores Portugal Brasil (Players), Sons em Movimento (Moving Sounds) - Lia Marchi (2006); A notebook of dances from Alentejo (Lia Marchi 2010); participated as a speaker in the seminar Voa Viola through the panel “Sociocultural aspects in viola music in Brazil and in Portugal”, BH, Brazil (2010); edited the DVD – De Minas Ao Alentejo (From Minas to Alentejo) – Chico Lobo and Pedro Mestre, released in Brazil in September 2013 and 2015 in Portugal.
Among the various activities carried out, is his passion for the collection of traditional musical instruments, including string instruments with a strong focus on the wire violas. And he is the company's managing partner in Pedro Mestre Viola Campaniça Cultural Productions, based at Aldeia da Sete (Castro Verde).