Founded by composer and conductor Beat Furrer in 1985,[1][2] it is run on collective principles, having no official principal conductor.[3]Sylvain Cambreling is principal guest conductor emeritus. Principal guest conductor is Bas Wiegers [nl] since the 2018/2019 concert season. The group is often cited as Austria's leading contemporary music ensemble,[4] and is particularly noted for its performances of music by composers of the German-speaking countries, including Helmut Lachenmann, Wolfgang Rihm, and Hans Zender.
Klangforum Wien participated in the work-in-progress Infinite Screen by artists duo Arotin And Serghei, with creations at Wiener Konzerthaus (2013 and 2021), at La Biennale di Venezia (2015), and at Centre Pompidou (2021).