Born in Jennersdorf, Burgenland on 30 March 1944,[1] Wonder studied at the Kunstschule Graz from 1960 to 1964, where he attended the painting class of Otto Brunner.
[1][2] Wonder then worked as freelance designer with directors including Ruth Berghaus, Luc Bondy,[1] Matthias Hartmann, Paulus Manker, Christof Nel, Hans Neuenfels, Claus Peymann [de], Johannes Schaaf and Horst Zankl [de].
He created the stage design for the 1994 production of the Bayreuth Festival of Tristan und Isolde, directed by Heiner Müller.
[1] Wonder was professor an der Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien as leader of the masterclass for stage design from 1978.
He was professor at the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien from 1985 to 2012, where he headed the Department of Scenography at the Institute of Art and Architecture.