Bomtempo was the son of an Italian musician in the Portuguese court orchestra, and studied at the Music Seminary of the Patriarchal See in Lisbon.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, he was not interested in opera and, in 1801, instead of going to Italy, he traveled to Paris, where he started a career as a virtuoso pianist.

During 1822 he returned to Lisbon, and founded there a Philharmonic Society to promote public concerts of contemporary music.

Bomtempo composed a vast number of concertos, sonatas, variations and fantasies for the piano.

But his largest work, and probably his masterpiece, is his Requiem in memory of Luís de Camões, which has been released on CD.