By Joana Patacas*, on August 27, 2024
João Barradas is one of Europe’s most prominent and innovative accordionists, with a distinguished career spanning classical music, jazz and improvisation. Known for his versatility and musical depth, Barradas has been redefining the role of the accordion in the contemporary music scene.
“ Indeed, while the mission of the ECHO series is to bring you the top artists of the future, Barradas is already something of a superstar. Determined to rewrite the rules of what an accordion can do, he moves with effortless style between the worlds of jazz, classical, folk and improvisation .” – in Barbican
He began studying the accordion at the age of six and at nine he entered the National Conservatory, where he graduated with the highest grade of 20. Throughout his career, he has accumulated a series of impressive achievements. Winner of some of the most prestigious international competitions, such as the World Accordion Trophy (twice), the Mondale Accordion Cup, the Castelfidardo International Competition and the Okud Istra International Competition, he has established himself as one of the leading names in the instrument.
“ A new name to watch is accordionist João Barradas, who is one of the rising stars of a young and very interesting Portuguese jazz scene. His music offers structure and freedom, freshness and exciting waves of melodies and rhythms. ” – in Jazzwise
Unanimously acclaimed by critics, his ability to move between different musical genres has led him to collaborate with renowned orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of prominent conductors such as Edward Gardner and Sylvain Cambreling. Barradas has also performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
In the world of jazz, João Barradas is equally respected. He has recorded for the prestigious New York label Inner Circle Music and has collaborated with several renowned musicians, such as Greg Osby, Gil Goldstein, Fabrizio Cassol, Mark Colenburg, Jacob Sacks, Sérgio Carolino and Pedro Carneiro.
“ Barradas emphasizes the harmonic attributes of the accordion as a way of giving a nebulous presence to the melodies and a fluid grace to the locomotion. With a quintet consisting of accordion, tenor saxophone, vibraphone, double bass and drums, Barradas makes the conventional piece sound a little strange, and makes the strange sound strangely familiar.” – in Bandcamp [about the album Portrait]
In the near future, Barradas is preparing a series of projects that promise to continue expanding the boundaries of the accordion. In the near future, he will be focusing on programs with orchestras in the area of classical music, and in the area of jazz, he is preparing to record his next album. He will soon begin a new residency at Casa da Música, in Porto, after having finished his residency with Symphoniker Hamburg, in Germany.
“ One of the reasons why João Barradas stands out from the rather small ranks of virtuoso jazz accordionists is his taste for adventure. At the same time, his roots are intact and embedded in the traditions of jazz and classical .” – in Downbeat [about the album Directions]
In this exclusive interview with SMARTx , you will have the opportunity to learn more about João Barradas ' career, from his first musical experiences to becoming one of the most acclaimed accordionists today.
How did music come into your life?
My first musical memory involves a Casio Rapman keyboard. My mother says that I even slept with it in bed. I loved that toy. The keyboard included instrumental playbacks that allowed me to play with the notes on the keys at the same time as the playback played. Basically, although I didn’t realize it, it was my first contact with improvisation. A few years later, when I was six years old, my kindergarten teacher invited a tocata (a musical group that accompanies a folk group) to give a short presentation to the kindergarten class. I have a strong memory of that experience; I clearly remember the accordion, the bellows, the buttons and the person who played it. That same day, on the way back home on foot, I asked my mother to enroll me in a music school to learn that instrument. A few days later, I entered the “Sons e Tons” music school in Samora Correia.
At what age did you start playing the accordion? Was it the first instrument you chose?
It was the first instrument I chose. Years later, already at the Conservatory, I took classical guitar as a second instrument.
When did you know you wanted to be a professional musician?
I always knew that music would be a part of my life as a hobby. The transition to “professionalization”, as a performer and continuous learning of the music I chose, happened gradually. In other words, there was no specific moment when I decided to become “professional”. After all, this process, especially as a performer, and not as a music teacher, and starting from Portugal, is not exactly a choice – it is a process that involves great dedication, a lot of consistency and a lot of luck.
Who were your mentors during your musical training?
I continue to have mentors and people who guide me, including in my daily studies. In some sort of chronological order: Professor Joaquim Raposo, an excellent accordion teacher, father of pianist António Rosado, and one of the great composers and arrangers of this aerophone, was a great help in developing my first physical skills with the instrument and in reading music in bass and treble clefs. Then, Professor Aníbal Freire, with whom I spent nine years of intense study and with a technical precision that I am still grateful for today – learning the instrument with one of the best instrumentalists ever was a privilege. Currently, although I do not have weekly lessons, I have some friends, teachers and mentors who guide me with completely honest opinions about the process and also about the editing of albums. For example, I am currently preparing to record a few more jazz standards and the entire daily process of learning improvisation and language is supported by incredible musicians such as Jeffery Davis, Ricardo Toscano, Greg Osby and Afonso Pais. Another example is that my new classical music album “Unfolding” not only contains music by the Portuguese composer Luís Tinoco, but he also accompanied the entire process, from the study of the original pieces, the transcription after studying the pre-existing compositions, the selection of the full takes , the mixing and mastering of the album, and the graphic design. My relationship with the Belgian group Aka Moon also goes beyond our recordings or live concerts. It is made up of three musicians – Fabrizio Cassol, Stéphane Galland and Michel Hatzigeorgiou – who I listen to religiously, not only in their musical choices but also in all other aspects of musical creation. At the moment, any project or program I am working on includes some people who help me create musically and plan my study routine, but also another group of people who advise me on its implementation in the musical environment.
Which accordionists inspire you?
There are so many, but these are the names that are most present in my imagination at the moment: Mika Väyrynen, Yuri Shishkin, Iñaki Alberdi, Aníbal Freire, Friedrich Lips, Domi Emorine, Aude Giuliano, Petar Maric, Jérôme Richard, Eric Bouvelle, Richard Galliano, Tommy Gumina, João Frade, Petar Ralchev, Lionel Suarez, Lelo Nika, Teodoro Anzelotti, Eugénia Lima, Vladislav Pligovka and Jean-Marc Marroni.
How did you get into the world of jazz?
Improvisation has always been a part of my relationship with the instrument and with music. Jazz began to make its presence felt more consistently in my life when I listened to artists such as Richard Galliano and Keith Jarrett. After completing the Conservatory in accordion, I had the opportunity to study at the JB Jazz school, where I came into contact with some of the best Portuguese improvisers, such as Pedro Madaleno, Nuno Ferreira and Paula Sousa. After this experience and a brief period dedicated to participating in some international competitions, I returned to studying improvisation at the Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa, which proved to be the most significant phase in my development as a musician, thanks to the support of incredible teachers such as João Moreira, Filipe Melo, João Paulo Esteves da Silva and Nelson Cascais.
What was it like collaborating with some of the most important contemporary improvisers? (Mark Turner, Peter Evans, Aka Moon, Greg Osby, Mike Stern, Rufus Reid, David Binney and Gil Goldstein, among others)
Virtually all of the names mentioned are people with whom I have an ongoing relationship and who have influenced not only the projects we have collaborated on, but also the subsequent development: the deepening of the study after those projects, the exploration of new aesthetic paths and even the understanding of my relationship with the musical environment as an accordionist. I think that from this list of names, with the exception of Gil Goldstein, most of them had their first contact with the accordion through our projects.
You have won the main world competitions dedicated to the accordion. How important were these awards in the development of your professional career?
Competitions open doors that would otherwise be extremely difficult to reach. Their added value lies in the obligation to receive and respect the opinions of professional musicians, improving the aspects they point out. Furthermore, this participation brings with it a sense of respect and admiration for the serious work developed by peers. From a professional career perspective, the immediate result is the opportunities that arise; from a musical perspective, the values of seriousness and humility are reinforced.
What is your day-to-day life like as a musician?
My day-to-day life as a musician is quite typical. If I'm at home, that is, if I'm not traveling or playing concerts, I'm studying. My studies are varied, but every day I dedicate time to articulation and studying with a metronome; I learn new written programs; I listen to albums and watch videos of my favorite musicians on YouTube. Currently, in the area of improvised music, I'm working on my interpretation of ballads and preparing the program with orchestras for the next three months, which includes composers such as Bach, Mozart and Luís Tinoco.
What kind of unforeseen events have you faced in your career?
The life of a performer is a curious one. Regardless of what may happen – health problems, financial difficulties or simple production setbacks – there is always the obligation to go on stage in the best possible conditions. There are no “superhumans” or people who have been blessed with luck for decades; life simply happens, and this combination of setbacks, together with the need to perform on stage, is a kind of condition inherent to this art form, and something that extends to all those who perform in public.
What were the most memorable moments in your career?
I have some moments that I cherish with special affection. One of the most recent and memorable was my debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Edward Gardner, where I had the opportunity to play a piece by Luís Tinoco, one of my favourite composers. Also this season, I would like to highlight the invitation to perform at the Martha Argerich Festival and to play in the second part of her own concert at the Elbphilharmonie. In addition, performing the first ever accordion recitals in such prestigious programmes as those of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the Wiener Konzerthaus were also unforgettable moments in my career.
When did you start composing? How would you describe your creative process?
Composition, like improvisation, began early on in my studies of the instrument. However, over time, my process has changed. Nowadays, I try to write down unfinished ideas throughout the year, without the pressure of deadlines or set formats. After a few months, I revisit these ideas and try to create something that completes them a little more. I often force myself to erase an idea completely to avoid being influenced by it again, if something has not stood the test of time. On my next album of improvised music, for example, André Rosinha and Bruno Pedroso have helped a lot in creating structures and even in composing some parts. This new project, which will be recorded with David Binney at Casa da Música in October this year, will be called “Aperture”.
You recorded your first album at the age of 19 (“Surrealistic Discussion” with tuba player Sérgio Carolino) and in 2023 you released your 10th album (“Solo II” – Live At Festival D'aix-En-Provence”). How do you approach the integration of personal experiences and musical influences into the creative process of your albums?
Just yesterday I thought about the project with Sérgio Carolino again. He is one of my mentors, one of the best musicians I know, and I continue to learn a lot from him. That first album was a real school on how to make music. Sérgio Carolino and Mário Dinis Marques, who was responsible for recording the album, were fundamental in helping me understand how to record an album. From musical and production preparation to the importance of having people outside the project listening to us, I learned a series of essential conditions for delivering the best possible work, something that I had never experienced at that level before. “Solo II – Live at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence” is a highly personal project. Not only because it is completely improvised, but also because it was performed live at one of the most important festivals for my development as a musician. I was also lucky enough to be surrounded by friends, both in the audience and in the team that recorded the album, as well as in the Festival academy itself, of which I was a member for a number of years.
He is an artist in residence at the Symphoniker Hamburg and Casa da Música; he has his own project “João Barradas Trio” with André Rosinha (double bass) and João Pereira (drummer); and, among other things, he has started writing for BBC Music Magazine. Tell us about what we can expect from your career in the near future.
For the next two seasons, in the classical music area, I will be focusing exclusively on orchestral programs. It is a great privilege to be able to work on this type of program, especially with an instrument that is not yet an obvious choice as a soloist in front of an orchestra. I am immensely grateful for the trust that orchestras and conductors have placed in me, providing me with these opportunities. I recently finished my residency with the Symphoniker Hamburg, in Germany, a truly privileged experience, where I was able to make music at the highest level. In six weeks, I will begin my residency at Casa da Música, a project that makes me extremely excited and happy. It will be a unique opportunity to record projects with some of the musicians I admire the most. Although the residency will only last a month, recordings of some of these projects will be released throughout 2025. I cannot reveal many details yet, but some collaborations with orchestras will be announced in September. In the jazz area, I am preparing to record my next album of originals in October. In addition, I am involved in four international projects that have given me great satisfaction and that will soon be announced. At least two of these projects will be announced in October. In order to adequately prepare for all these programs, I have decided not to perform recitals in the near future. Recitals have been one of the most common ways for me to perform on stage in recent years, but at the moment my priority is to focus on the preparation and execution of these larger projects.
And how do you manage such a diverse career?
This is something that requires great discipline and organization. I try to balance my commitments, ensuring that each project receives the attention it needs. I have a team of collaborators who support me with logistics and administration, allowing me to focus on what really matters: creating and performing music.
How do you define music?
Defining what music is is not an easy task, but I can try to explain my relationship with this art form. For me, music is the form of abstract expression that moves me the most, the most immediate, both as a listener and as a "practitioner". I am referring mainly to instrumental music, which is the closest to me and which does not resort to other art forms in its constitution. It is through it that I can experience and transmit emotions in a pure and direct way, without the need for words or images.
If you hadn't pursued a career in music, what other professional path do you imagine you would have chosen?
I would have loved to have studied Computer Science.
What are your hobbies?
Nowadays, I dedicate some of my free time to books, video games and podcasts. These are activities that relax me a lot and, at the same time, stimulate creativity and different types of thinking. These hobbies allow me to disconnect from the daily routine and explore new ideas and perspectives, which ends up positively influencing my musical work.
What do you hope to achieve in the coming years?
I would like to continue recording albums and working on their production. For me, it is an important way to represent our music. Although the means of music production are increasingly accessible, creating music at a certain level remains a significant challenge. From the availability of time and space needed for preparation, to access to the best recording equipment and equipment, there are many factors that make this process demanding. I hope to overcome these challenges and continue to create works that reflect my artistic and musical vision.
Do you have any advice for young musicians who are just starting out in their careers?
It is always difficult to give general advice, as each musician has different needs and paths. However, I can share a piece of advice that was given to me by musicians that I greatly admire and that I try to follow: never lose your practice and listening routine. These two factors go hand in hand in the development of a musician. "Putting together" a program without facing external difficulties is not really a practice routine, and "listening" only to records that we already know, without analyzing and studying them, is not the type of listening that contributes to the development of musical vocabulary. It is essential to maintain a consistent practice and to listen attentively and critically, always seeking new challenges and learning.
* Joana Patacas - Communication and Content Consulting
Photography of João Barradas by Alfredo Matos
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