Currier was raised in Providence, RI in a family of talented musicians, including his brother Nathan Currier, who also is a noted composer. Sebastian Currier received degrees from the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. His compositions include Crossfade, written for two harps, and Microsymph, described as a "30-minute symphony compressed into 10 minutes."
In October, 2005, members of the Berlin Philharmonic performed an entire evening of his works including the premiere of his work Remix1 In March, 2007, Currier's composition Static for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, and piano was honored with a Grawemeyer Award. Static is the second Grawemeyer Award-winning piece that does not require a conductor (the other is György Ligeti's Piano Etudes, which won the award in 1986).
He completed the orchestration of Stephen Albert's Symphony No. 2, half of which was undone at the time of Albert's untimely death. It was subsequently recorded on Naxos Records along with Albert's Symphony No. 1 Riverrun, which won a Pulitzer Prize.
Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter has recorded Currier's Aftersong, which the composer dedicated to her.
