Born in Innsbruck in 1974, Johannes Maria Staud draws much of his inspiration from literature and
the visual arts. Reflections on philosophical questions, social processes and political events also influence his compositions. In doing so, his artfully constructed works follow a consistent dramaturgy.
Staud studied musicology and philosophy in Vienna before continuing his compositional studies with Hanspeter Kyburz in Berlin. Just one year after he graduated Staud won the Erste Bank Composition Prize in 2002. In 2003 he won the International Rostrum of Composers prize, in 2004 the Composers’ Grant of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation and in 2009 the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival’s Paul Hindemith-Prize.
In 2015/16, Staud returned to the university where he began his compositional career: he standed in
for his former teacher Michael Jarrell for one year as professor of composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Since 2018, Staud is professor for composition at the Mozarteum Salzburg.
