Leonardo Balada

Leonardo Balada Ibáñez (born September 22, 1933) is a Spanish American composer, now teaching and composing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Balada's works from the early 1960s display some of the characteristics of Neoclassicism, but the composer was ultimately dissatisfied with his technique, and in 1966 began to move towards a more avant-garde style, producing works such as Guernica. Balada felt a need for a change again in 1975, his work from then onward being characterized by the combination of folk dance rhythms with the avant-garde techniques of the previous period. Harmonically, Balada's mature period work displays a combination of the tonality of folk music with atonality. Compositions representative of this period include Homage to Sarasate and Homage to Casals. No matter the stylistic phase, Balada's music features extensive rhythmic variance and unique orchestration, often in service of a haunting atmosphere.

Some of Balada's works have been recorded by Naxos Records.