Austrian composer, clarinetist, and music author. He studied music theory and composition under Josef Marx from the age of 12. In 1934, he became a teacher of clarinet, chamber music, and music theory at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

From 1936 to 1939, he served as a clarinetist in the Vienna State Opera Orchestra and also taught at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Due to his resistance against the Nazis, he was expelled from public office after 1939 and was subsequently imprisoned several times.

After World War II, he taught at the Vienna Academy of Music (1945–47, 1950–65), becoming a professor in 1957. As a clarinetist, he specialized in contemporary music, performing at international music festivals and giving lectures abroad.