He studied composition privately with David Del Tredici and Joseph Maneri, and at Harvard, where he earned a Ph.D.
In 1997, he composed a ballet version of Where the Wild Things Are in collaboration with Maurice Sendak and Septime Webre.
He re-created four of Nico’s songs for Cale’s tribute concert “On the Borderline”, sung by Peter Murphy, Lisa Gerrard, Sparklehorse, Stephin Merritt, Peaches, and Meshell Ndegeocello.
His works have been performed by Kathleen Supové, Jennifer Choi, Timothy Fain, Mary Rowell, Todd Reynolds, Ethel, conductor/flutist Ransom Wilson, Tara O’Connor, Lindsey Goodman, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet, Turnmusic, Fulcrum Point, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Sonic Generator, Bang on a Can/SPIT Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, NakedEye Ensemble, and others.
Woolf's orchestral work White Heat was commissioned by and premiered at the Tanglewood Music Center in 1989.