António Pinho Vargas was born in Vila Nova Gaia, Portugal, across the river from Oporto, in 1951. He graduated in History and has a degree in piano from the Oporto Conservatory. In 1974, he began to play jazz piano, and with his band he performed throughout Europe and the United States, with additional performances in South Africa and Macao. With a scholarship granted by the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, he studied for three years with composer Klaas de Vries at the Rotterdam Conservatory. He also participated in composition courses and seminars with the likes of György Ligeti, John Cage, Louis Andriessen, and Harrison Birtwistle. His works have been performed throughout Europe and in the Americas.

Pinho Vargas has composed for theater, dance, and film. His 1996 score for the film Cinco Dias, Cinco Noites ("Five Days, Five Nights"), by Jose Fonseca e Costa, won best score at Festival de Gramado. His recordings include Outros Lugares ("Other Places," 1983), Os Jogos do Mundo ("Games of the World," 1989), and Selos e Borboletas ("Stamps and Butterflies," 1991), among others.