Fabio Nieder studied chamber music with Dario de Rosa and Libero Lana, composition with Giulio Viozzi, and piano with Roberto Repini at the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory in Trieste from 1973 to 1981. In 1977, he undertook additional study with Witold Lutosławski. Twenty years later, he met Luciano Berio; the two became close friends and colleagues.

Having grown up in Central Europe, Nieder developed a special affection for the German Lied tradition. As a pianist, he has accompanied esteemed singers such as Petre Munteanu and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and regularly performs with Lied specialists including Alfredo Kraus and Barbara Hannigan, among others. Nieder himself has composed numerous Lieder, notably Lieder von der Liebe zur Erde for voice and orchestra (2009) and Zwei sentimentale-ironische Lieder for soprano and orchestra (1981).

His works have been premiered by soloists, ensembles, and orchestras including Heinrich Schiff, Barbara Hannigan, Teodoro Anzellotti, Eduard Brunner, Ed Spanjaard, Emilio Pomarico, Marino Formenti, Myung-Whun, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Recherche, Nieuw Ensemble, Atlas Ensemble, Ives Ensemble, ÖENM, Orchestra Nazionale della RAI, the WDR, SWR and SR Orchestras, and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra. His music has been performed in festivals and venues such as Berliner Festwochen, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Musik der Jahrhunderte (Stuttgart), Musik im 21. Jahrhundert (Saarbrücken), Wien Modern, Musikprotokoll (Graz), Holland Festival, Output Festival (Amsterdam), Huddersfield Festival, Venice Biennale, Milan Musica, Nuova Consonanza (Rome), Présences, Berliner Philharmonie, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Tonhalle Zürich, Wiener Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan´t Ij Amsterdam, La Scala, and La Fenice.

Nieder has been awarded numerous prizes, including first prize in the Valentino Bucchi Competition (Rome; 1979), the ISCM Prize (Austria; 1980), three prizes at Gaudeamus Muziekweek (1980, 1982, and 1984), first prize in the 2 Agosto Competition (Bologna; 1995), second prize in the Ennio Porrino Competition (Cagliari; 1995), the Sonderpreis in the Compania Competition (Münster; 1996), the Gustav Mahler Kompositionspreis (Klagenfurt; 1998), and first prize in the Domenico Guaccero Competition (Bari; 1998).

He has taught composition at the Amsterdam and Trieste Conservatories, and at several European composition academies (Stuttgart, Tallin, Graz, Ljubljana). Also active as a conductor, he founded, conducted, and performed as a pianist with the Florestan-Eusebius Ensemble. He also regularly conducts groups such as Nieuw Ensemble in Amsterdam.

Fabio Nieder presently lives in Germany.