Lopes e Silva studied classical guitar with Emilio Pujol at Lisbon’s National Conservatory and did his musical studies with Fernanda Chichorro. In 1959 and 1960 he attended the Santiago de Compostela courses of Andrés Segovia as a scholarship holder from the Madrid Cultural Institute and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 1962 he established himself in Brazil and carried on his studies in S. Paulo’s main conservatories, where he was also a teacher. He also attended Safford Cape’s Ancient Music courses.

After 1970, Lopes e Silva dedicated himself to studying contemporary music and new music trends. He studied with Jorge Peixinho, Álvaro Salazar, Luís de Pablo and Filipe Pires. In 1975, sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, he travelled to West Germany to participate in information and interpretation courses concerning contemporary guitar music. A year later he attended the Darmstadt courses under the supervision of György Ligeti, Mauricio Kagel and Cristobal Halffter.

He took part from the beginning in Jorge Peixinho’s Lisbon Contemporary Music Group. In 1972 he became a teacher at Lisbon’s National Conservatory.

Lopes e Silva was present at the 1980 Israel International World Music Days Festival with the piece Epígono I (Epigone I). He has been performing in several concerts, either solo or with the Lisbon Contemporary Music Group, in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Finland, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy and many national and international festivals.