He began already at a young age as a choirboy at the court of Mary of Hungary, sister of emperors Charles V and Ferdinand I of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1564, Utendal became alto of the court chapel of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol, another member of the royal Habsburg family.
After Ferdinand was made Archduke of Further Austria in 1564 after his father's death, he moved his court from Prague (he was the governor of Bohemia) to Innsbruck.
Due to his position as vice-chapel master he mostly composed sacred works, although there are also two books known with French and German non-sacred songs.
All the original sacred compositions of Utendal still exist and they are conserved in many archives and libraries throughout Europe.