He initiated his accordion studies at the age of six at a small music school in Samora Correia, then gained admission to Instituto de Música Vitorino Matono in Lisbon, and at the age of nine, was admitted directly to the second year of the Official Accordion Course at the National Conservatory, finishing his training with the highest mark of 20/20.

João Barradas has participated in various national and international contests, having done his preparation at the Música Serenata School, directed by Aníbal Freire.

[2] After this period he continues studying with Greg Osby, Frédéric Deschamps and João Paulo Esteves da Silva.

He knows and works with Mark Turner, Avishai Cohen, Jim Black, Eric Harland, Nir Felder, Carlos Bica, Miguel Zenón, Robin Eubanks, Matt Penman, Stefan Harris and Frank Möbus.

[5][6][7] Having recorded for the New York record label Inner Circle Music[8] João Barradas has collaborated with names such as: Greg Osby, Gil Goldstein, Fabrizio Cassol, Mark Colenburg, Jacob Sacks, Rufus Reid, Federico Malaman, Philip Harper, Bobby Sanabria, Tommy Campbell, Sérgio Carolino, Pedro Carneiro, among many others.