He graduated from Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona and in 1956 emigrated to the United States, where in 1960, he graduated from the Juilliard School in New York. He studied composition with Vincent Persichetti and Aaron Copland, and studied conducting with Igor Markevitch. In 1981, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[citation needed] Since 1970 he has been teaching at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Some of his most notable students are Cynthia Cozette Lee and Gary Chang.

His works in the early 1960s are somewhat neo-classical in nature, but the composer was dissatisfied and in 1966 saw a change to an avant-garde style, producing such works like Guernica. The composer felt a need for a change again in 1975, and the works from then onwards are characterized by the combination of folk dance rhythms with avant-garde techniques of the previous period. Harmonically, there is a combination of tonality (folk music) with atonality. Works marking this new trend including Homage to Sarasate and Homage to Casals.

In and out of his stylistic phases, Leonardo Balada's music promises rhythmic excitement, often haunting atmospheres and unceasingly innovative orchestrations.

Balada's works have been extensively recorded by Naxos Records.

Popular Titles (Displaying 7 Results)

	1.	Formula 51 (2001) aka "The 51st State" - UK (original title) aka "Chemical 51" - Japan (English title) aka "Baladas, Rachas e Um Louco de Kilt" - Brazil
	2.	Superbad (2007) aka "Super Baldas" - Portugal
	3.	Desperado (1995) aka "La balada del pistolero" - Argentina, Spain aka "A Balada do Pistoleiro" - Brazil
	4.	"NYPD Blue" (1993) (TV series) aka "N.Y.P.D" - Israel (English title) aka "A Balada de Nova Iorque" - Portugal
	5.	"Hill Street Blues" (1981) (TV series) aka "Balada de Hill Street" - Portugal
	6.	The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) aka "Os Gatões - Uma Nova Balada" - Brazil
	7.	Varsity Blues (1999) aka "Balada dos Campeões" - Portugal

Titles (Partial Matches) (Displaying 3 Results)

	1.	Party Girl (1995) aka "Baladas em NY" - Brazil
	2.	Sugar Town (1999) aka "Nas Baladas de Sugar Town" - Brazil (cable TV title)
	3.	Dolphins (2007) aka "Octane" - USA (DVD title) aka "Rachas e Baladas" - Brazil

Titles (Approx Matches) (Displaying 10 Results)

	1.	Ballad of a Soldier (1959) aka "Ballada o soldate" - Soviet Union (original title) aka "A Balada do Soldado" - Brazil aka "Balada de un soldado" - Argentina
	2.	Ballad of Narayama (1983) aka "Narayama-bushi kô" - Japan (original title) aka "La balada de Narayama" - Argentina, Spain aka "A Balada de Narayama" - Brazil aka "I balada tou Narayama" - Greece
	3.	Scrooge (1970) aka "Hristougenniatiki balada" - Greece
	4.	The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) aka "La balada de Jack y Rose" - Argentina aka "A Balada de Jack e Rose" - Portugal
	5.	The Singing Detective (2003) aka "I balada enos detective" - Greece
	6.	Miami Blues (1990) aka "Balada de Miami" - Portugal
	7.	The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) aka "La balada del desiertio" - Mexico aka "La balada de Cable Hogue" - Spain
	8.	The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005) aka "Mangal Pandey: The Rising" - India (English title) aka "I balada tou Mangal Pandey" - Greece (TV title) aka "El principio: La balada de Mangal Pandey" - Argentina (cable TV title)
	9.	The Ballad of Big Al (2001) (TV) aka "I balada tou megalou Al" - Greece (DVD title)
	10.	By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) aka "Balada ao Luar" - Portugal

Names (Approx Matches) (Displaying 1 Result)

1.

Eduardo Balada (Miscellaneous Crew, The Machinist (2004))

Companies (Approx Matches) (Displaying 1 Result)

1.

Haladás Film (Production)