A native of San Fernando di Puglia, Italy, he began to play the mandolin at the age of five. Just before the turn of the century he won an international competition, which took him on a tour of European cities. In 1900 he performed in England and decided to stay for three years. He dazzled the Sultan of Turkey and was made a royal musician for seven months in the year 1903. Among his patrons were Kaiser Wilhelm (Germany) and Czar Nicholas (Russia). He moved to the U.S. and appeared on early radio, in vaudeville and Broadway shows.
He appeared in productions of the Metropolitan Opera and composed for the mandolin and orchestra. In the eighth edition of George Whites Scandals (1926) Mr. De Pace shared the bill with Broadway veterans Ann Pennington, Frances Williams, Harry Richman and Willie & Eugene Howard. When Mr. De Pace died in New York in June 1966, six children and thirteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren survived him. One of his grandchildren, Bobby, is a composer, lyricist and leader of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). A requiem mass was held for Bernardo De Pace at St. Jeromes Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday, June 18, 1966. Selections: Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna overture (Franz von Suppe); Souvenir (Franz Drdla); Humoresque (Anton Dvorak); Thats Why I Love You (Walter Donaldson, Paul Ash) interpolating Sweethearts (Victor Herbert. Robert B. Smith); Irish Jig; Belle Nuit, O Nuit dAmour (a.k.a. Barcarolle) from Tales of Hoffman (Jacques Offenbach, 1881).
This is the earliest known motion picture of virtuoso Bernardo De Pace, The Wizard of The Mandolin, released February, 1927. He subsequently appeared in at least two other films shorts for different studios.
