Luís Cardoso began his musical studies in 1993 at the Amateur Academy for Music (Academia de Amadores de Música). In 1996, he continued his education at the School of Music of the National Conservatory (EMCN), where, in 2001, he completed the course in Voice with Professor Filomena Amaro. He studied Analysis and Compositional Techniques (ATC) with Eurico Carrapatoso (1998-2001). He received his first degree (licenciatura) in composition from the Superior School of Music in Lisbon where he studied with Luís Tinoco (2001), Christopher Bochmann (2002-2004), and António Pinho Vargas (2005).
He won the composition contest of ESMAE/Casa da Música (2003) with the piece, Serenata, which was premiered by the Remix Ensemble in March 2005 at the Casa da Música, Porto.
In 2005 Luís Cardoso composed Trio de cordas, acommission from the Orchestrutópica (OU), which was premiered in September 2005 at the Festival Expresso Oriente by soloists of the OU, at Culturgest, Lisbon. He won the competition “Opera in Creation” with Antígona (2006), a short chamber opera.
Also in 2006, he received honorable mention in the 1st Composition Competition of the International Festival of Musica of Póvoa de Varzim, in the Chamber Music category, with the piece, Pater Noster, for baritone and string quartet. In 2006 he participated in the Composition Seminars of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, under the orientation of Emmanuel Nunes.
In January 2007, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Guillaume Bourgogne, premiered, in the Grande Auditorioum of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Heptâmetro, as part of the 5th Workshop for Young Composers. He has also lectured at commented concerts with the Duo Contracello and the Capela Quartet.
Luís Cardoso currently teaches ATC at the Vitorino Matono Music Institute.