Born in Baden-Baden in 1951, he studied composition with Wolf-gang Fortner and Karlheinz Stockhausen and conducting with Francis Travis (diploma in 1977). Thanks to a grant from the Heinrich-Strobel-Stiftung, he continued his studies in the United States (1978–79). In 1980 he attended a course in computer music at ircam and began his career as a conductor. He also held a grant from the City of Cologne (1982). His honours include the gema Foundation Prize (1981), the Kranichstein Music Award (1982), the Ensemblia Mönchengladbach Award (1983), a prize in the ‘Young Generation in Europe’ Competition (1985) and the Bernd Alois Zimmermann Award (1987). In 1990 he worked as composer-in-residence at the Villa Serbelloni (Rockefeller Foundation) and was a professor of composition at the Conservatory in Maastricht. In 1992 he visited Japan at the invitation of the Japan Foundation. As a conductor he has worked with Ensemble Avanti, Ensemble 2e2m, Ensemble Modern, the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Cologne and the Orchestra of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Both as a composer and conductor he has participated in major events such as ‘Musica’ (Strasbourg), Rencontres Internationales (Metz), Donaueschinger Musiktage, the Darmstadt Courses, Wittener Musiktage, Holland Festival, the Huddersfield Festival and the Salzburg Festival. A selection of his articles on music has been published by Feedback Studio Verlag in Cologne. He lives in Cologne.

Selected works: Steine for two pianos (1989, rev. 1992–93), Grenzgänge Steine for soprano, two pianos and orchestra with words by Heinz
Kattner (1989, rev. 1992–93), Rezital for flutes and tape (1993), Tôku/Nah for wind orchestra and three percussions (1994), Dense for flute, cello and piano (1994), Dense (Echo I) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1994–96), Andere Räume for four percussionists and tape (1994–96), Echo II for violin and solo piano, and wind ensemble and percussion (1995), Weiter for orchestra (1995–96), Turm for orchestra (1996), Charm for violin and shô (1996–98), Strange Charm (from the cycle up down strange charm) for clarinet (bass clarinet), percussion, harp, violin and shô (1996–98), Main Fleur (Echo III) for saxophone, percussion, piano and live electronics (1997, also version for ensemble and live electronics – 1998), Down (from the cycle up down strange charm) for clarinet, horn, bassoon and string quintet (1998), Senko-hana-bi. In Yoshitake’s Garden for shô or piano or accordion (1998), Spazio... (Echo V) for horn, trumpet and trombone (1998), Tau for string quartet (1999).