Born in 1960, he studied composition with Salvatore Sciarrino in Milan and later with Helmut Lachenmann in Stuttgart. For his compositions, he has received numerous accolades, including the Composition Prize of the City of Stuttgart (1993), Busoni Composition Prize (Berlin 1996), Vienna International Composition Prize (2004), Ernst Křenek Prize (Vienna 2006), and Ernst von Siemens Foundation’s Music Prize (Munich 2010). In 2006–8 and 2010–12 he taught composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, in 2009 at the High School of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main, in 2017 at the Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña in Barcelona. He regularly conducts courses in music composition, among other as part of the IEMA – Internationale Ensemble Modern Akademie, MCME International Academy, Darmstadt International Courses for New Music, Impuls Akademie in Graz, festivals in Tel Aviv (Tzlil Meudcan) and Rieti (Composit), as well as at Harvard University, New York’s Columbia University, Boston University, and New York University. 

His compositions have been performed by renowned musicians and ensembles at festivals such as Wien Modern, Festival d’Automne in Paris, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Eclat Stuttgart, Ultraschall Berlin, Musica Viva in Munich, Tage für Neue Musik in Zurich, Ars Musica in Brussels, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, ISCM World New Music Days in Wrocław, Biennale Zagreb, Bendigo Festival, as well as in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. They are regularly broadcast by European public radio broadcasters and released on CDs under such labels as Kairos, Stradivarius, col legno, Durian, and NEOS. 

Selected works: ME.A.AN for voice and ensemble (1994), ITI KE MI for viola (1995), Scrittura. Cammino for 36 voices and five instruments (1998), Scrittura. Presenza for electric guitar, plastic pipes and orchestra (1999), Mani.Giacometti for violin, viola and cello (2000), Mani.Longfor ensemble (2001), Legno.Intile, study for ensemble (2002), Legno.Edre, cycle for bassoon (2003–4), Mani.De Leonardis for four automobile springs and glass (2004), Legno.Stele for two bassoons and ensemble (2004), TA for ensemble (2005), 1+1=1 for two bass clarinets (2006), Mani.Mono for springdrum (2007), Bocca.Kosmoi for voice, trombone and orchestra (2007), Mani.Matta for percussion (2008), Verticale muto for ensemble (2009), Blaues Fragment for bassoon (2010), Muri III b for string quartet (2010), Phonogliphi for voice, bassoon and orchestra (2011), Mani.Δίκηfor percussion (2012), Mani.Gonxha for percussion (2012), Sgorgo, cycle for electric guitar (2012–13), Equilibrio. Cerchio for violin (2014), Ebe und anders for seven instruments (2014), OM. ON for two electric guitars (2015), Face for female voice and ensemble (2016), 2 Alberi for alto saxophone and percussion (2017), Face Dia.De for two female voices and eight soloists (2019), Mani. Amon for gong drum (2019), MAAT ME for percussion and eight instruments (2020), Tre Alberi for three percussionists (2020).