Born in 1979. After graduating as an engineer, he studied piano and composition at the Royal Flemish Conservatoire in Antwerp, graduating with distinction in composition. Concurrently, he studied technology in music at the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, Sonology at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, and philosophy of culture and philosophy of technology at the University of Antwerp. Since September 2011 he divides his time between Europe and the United States, where he pursues a PhD in composition at Harvard under the guidance of Chaya Czernowin.
He has won several important awards in Belgium and abroad, such as the ISCM Young Composer Award (2014), Kranichsteiner Musikpreis for Composition (Darmstadt, 2010), Staubach Honorarium (Darmstadt, 2009), and the International Impuls Composition Award (Graz, 2009). In 2012 the Union of Belgian Music Journalists elected him Young Belgian Musician of the Year. In 2014 he became laureate of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for the Sciences and Arts in the Class of the Arts. Stefan Prins is closely involved with the Nadar Ensemble as a composer and member of the artistic board. Together with Thomas Olbrechts and Joachim Devillé, he was one of the founders of the long-standing trio for improvised music collectief reFLEXible.
His music has been played notably by Klangforum Wien, Nadar Ensemble, Ictus Ensemble, Nikel Ensemble, Ensemble Mosaik, Trio Accanto, Ensemble Dal Niente, ensemble recherche, Zwerm Electric Guitar Quartet, and Champ d’Action at festivals such as the Donaueschinger Musiktage, Summer Courses in Darmstadt, Wittener Tage für Neue Musik, Éclat, Musica Strasbourg, Ars Musica, Tzlil Meudcan, Impuls Festival, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, and Ultima Festival.
His favourite color is blood red.
Major works: In memoriam Luciano Berio for bassoon and piano (2003), No habrá una sola cosa que no sea una nube for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (2002–3), Étude intérieure #1 for piano and marbles (2004), Schling, electroacoustic performance– installation (2005), Erosie (Memory Space #1) for amplified viola and bayan/accordion (2005), Memory Space #2 for ensemble (2005–6), Ventriloquium for ensemble and live electronics (2006), G.L.I.M. for tape (2006), Memory Space #3 for trumpet and live electronics (2006), Not I for guitar and live electronics (2007), FITTINGinSIDE for tenor trombone, walking tour, mp3 players, soundprocessing and spatial installation (2007), Ensuite for cello (2008), Fremdkörper #1 for flute, electric guitar, percussion, cello and live electronics (2009), Körper for chamber orchestra (2009), Infiltrationen (Memory Space #4) for electric guitar quartet and live electronics (2009), Fremdkörper #2 for ensemble and live electronics (2010), Fremdkörper #3 (mit Michael Jackson) for 10 instruments and sampler (2010), Plug’n’Play for laptop and large ensemble (2011), Piano Hero #1 for MIDI keyboard, webcam, live electronics and video (2011), Piano Hero #2 for piano, MIDI keyboard, webcam, live electronics and video (2012), Hybridae for 8-channel projection (2012), PARK, music, text, performance and scenography for electric guitar quartet and live electronics (2012), Generation Kill for percussion, electric guitar, violin, cello, four game controllers, four video projections and live electronics (2012), Generation Kill – offspring 1 for percussion, cello, two controllers, two video projections and live electronics (2012), Flesh+Prosthesis #1 for amplified saxophone, percussion, electric guitar and piano and 4-channel sound projection (2013), I’m Your Body for amplified saxophone, percussion, electric guitar, piano, chamber ensemble and 4-channel sound projection (2013), Study for a Mirror Box for 4-channel sound projection (2014), Mirror Box (Flesh+Prosthesis) #3 for amplified saxophone, percussion, piano and electronics (2014).
