Balada has pioneered the blending of ethnic music with ‘avant-garde’ techniques and many of his melodies have a Spanish flavour. His music is notable for its bright colours and aggressive rhythms. The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 3 dates from 1999, and is an excellent example of the composer’s style, combining strong Spanish musical features with contemporary compositional techniques. The Concierto Mágico for Guitar and Orchestra was written in 1997. Here Spanish colours and moods dominate, with the notable influence of Andalusian gypsy music. The Music for Flute and Orchestra is the most recent work on this new album, and dates from 2000. It uses Catalan folk melodies in a surrealistic manner, presenting and developing them in highly imaginative and varied ways. This recording marks the first performance of this new work.