Born in Kingston upon Thames, England, Saunders studied at the University of Huddersfield (1991–94) and then with Anthony Gilbert at the Royal Northern College of Music (1994–96).
[2] He held composition residencies at the Experimental Studio fur Akustische Künst in Freiburg in 2003 and 2007.
[3] His music has been played at international festivals, including Bludenz Tage fur zeitgemäßer Musik,[4] Brighton Festival, BMIC Cutting Edge,[5] Borealis,[6] Darmstadt,[7] Donaueschingen Festival,[8] Gothenburg Arts Sounds,[9] Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival,[10] Inventionen Berlin,[11] The Kitchen, Music We'd Like to Hear,[12] Ostrava New Music Days, Rainy Days,[13] Rational Rec,[14] Roaring Hooves, Spitalfields_Music,[15] SPOR,[16] Ultima,[17] and Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik[18] Saunders' music has been performed internationally by ensembles and musicians including Apartment House, Arditti Quartet, asamisimasa, Sebastian Berweck, ensemble chronophonie, duo Contour, Rhodri Davies, Exaudi, Nicolas Hodges, London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, Neue Vocalsolisten, Plus-minus ensemble, Psappha New Music Ensemble, ensemble recherche, Suono Mobile, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg, and 175 East.
[20] His research interests include open forms, notation, group behaviours, instrumentalisation, series and modularity.
His music uses extended instrumental techniques and found objects as a means of exploring the sonic properties of materials.