João Barradas stands out as one of the most creative musicians on the European accordion scene, moving simultaneously between classical and improvised music. He gave the first-ever accordion recitals in concert halls such as the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and performs as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, the Symphoniker Hamburg and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of the most prestigious conductors such as Edward Gardner, Alondra de la Parra, Sylvain Cambreling and Christoph Poppen.
In the world of Jazz, he has increased the presence of his instrument by collaborating with some of the most important contemporary improvisers, such as: Mark Turner, Peter Evans, Aka Moon, Greg Osby, David Binney, Gil Goldstein and even in larger groups such as the Brussels Jazz Orchestra.
He was nominated ECHO Rising Star by the European Concert Hall Organization in 2019.