Harald Genzmer, born near Bremen, Germany, began his classical studies in 1928 with Paul Hindemith. He played clarinet in a military band during the early years of WWII, and was also was put on duty as a piano player and composer of “sick bay concerts” for the recuperation of wounded officers. His 1955 Sinfonietta for strings became one of the most performed works for string orchestras in Europe. From 1957 to 1974 he taught in Munich, Germany, at the Hochschule für Musik. Among his students were soon to be famous composers like Bertold Hummel and John McCabe. In 1992 he established his foundation for the encouragement of New Music in order to help composers, artists and musicologists with the production and publication of contemporary musical works.