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Searching for the roots of drumming, he also studied ritual and dance drumming with Ruben Agbeli in Ghana, West Africa.
Since 1995 Bernhard has led jazz bands featuring international performers and jazz legends such as pianists Pete Levin, Eri Yamamoto, Donald Vega and Warren Byrd; bassists Bill Crow, Don Miller, James Cammack and Dave Anderson; saxophonists Ken Gioffre, Melissa Aldana, Adrian Cunningham and Beavin Lawrence; and trumpeters Kerry Mackillop and Dutch jazz diva Saskia Laroo. Each performance is a colorful, joyous celebration that gives every musician space to create. The trio, quartet and quintet repertoire spans jazz standards from the 1940s–1960s and original works by group members.
In 2012 Bernhard received a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts for educational concerts of his nine‑piece Blue Moon Ensemble, which blends jazz, classical and new music.
Bernhard’s new quintet was featured at a United Nations gala event in October 2014.
In 2017–2018 he collaborated with Eugene Sirotkine—vocal coach and assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera—producing a Brazilian band and presenting the music of composer Chico Buarque.
As an educator Bernhard is devoted to cultivating individual talent while preserving tradition. He views music as a path to creativity, self‑discovery and healing, balancing time‑honored fundamentals with modern concepts. He has taught privately and at conservatories for 15 years, lectured at universities, and developed his own early‑childhood methods. In addition to regular classes, he offers workshops and private sessions on building a life in music and fulfilling artistic vision.
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