enjott schneider portraitEnjott Schneider was born in Weil am Rhein (Germany) in 1950. He studied Music and musicology at Freiburg im Breisgau and was awarded his Dr. phil. in 1977.

Since 1979 he has taught at the University of Music and performing arts in Munich (first as professor of theaory of music, then – since 1996 - of composing for films).

He has published books dealing with time and rhythm and with composing for films.

He has himself written more than 1000 soundtracks, for major films like “Stalingrad”, “23”, “Schlafes Bruder” “Armageddon”, “Stauffenberg” and TV- Productions ranging from soap operas to epic TV-movies.

Among his numerous compositions for stage and the genres of chamber, orchestral and chamber music, and special mention must be given to seven operas, such as “The Salome-Principle” (Gelsenkirchen 2000), “Gatekeeper Thiel” (Görlitz 2004) and “Fürst Pückler – I’m a child of fantasy” (Görlitz 2006), and also three orchestral symphonies “Bell- Symphony: A Song to life” on texts from the Buchenwald concentration camp (Cathedral Steps Festival Erfurt 1999) and “Sisyphos” (Herkules Hall Munich 2001), “Chinese Seasons” (Leoben 2008).

Schneider was awarded with the Bavarian Film Prize for “Rama Dama” (dir. J.Vilsmaier), the German Filmprize for “Wildfeuer” (dir. J.Baier) and for “Silent Shadows” (dir. Sherry Horman), and the fipa d’or (best filmmusic) for “Jahrestage” (Margarethe von Trotta). 2007 Deutscher Fernsehpreis” (best filmscore) for “Die Flucht” (dir. K. Wessel) and “Nicht alle waren Moerder” (J. Baier).

A special interest of his is composing organ music (12 large organ symphonies, 2 organ concertos) and sacred music (4 large oratorios, works for choirs). A serie of CDs “Enjott Schneider: Sacred Music (Volume 1-6)” with the label “ambiente audio” documents some of these compositions. Schneider's music reflects a wide range of tendencies from avantgarde to pop, and seeks to tap the creative potential of contrasting streams within a postmodern ethos.