Beat Furrer, composer in residence at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin in the academic year 2018/2019, teaches composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz. Born in Switzerland, he studied composition with Roman Haubenstock-Ramati and conducting with Otmar Suitner. In 1985 Beat Furrer founded the Klangforum Wien, which he conducted until 1992 and to which he has been associated as a conductor ever since. Since the 1980s the composer has created a broad repertoire ranging from solo and chamber music to works for ensemble, choir, orchestra and opera. His best-known musical theatre works include Begehren (2001), the Hörtheater FAMA (2005), Wüstenbuch (2010) and la bianca notte/die helle nacht (2015). In 2018 Beat Furrer received the renowned Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. In January 2019 his opera Violetter Schnee was premiered at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin; Händl Klaus wrote the libretto after a model by Vladimir Sorokin.