Beat Furrer (*1954) was born in Schaffhausen and received his first training (piano) at the music school there. After moving to Vienna in 1975, he studied conducting with Otmar Suitner and composition with Roman Haubenstock Ramati at the Hochschule for music and performing art. In 1985 he founded the Klangforum Wien, which he led until 1992 and with which he has been associated as a conductor ever since. Since the fall of 1991, Furrer has been a full professor of composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. In 2004 he received the Music Prize of the City of Vienna, and since 2005 he has been a member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin. In 2006 he was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for his work FAMA.