 His career was spent teaching composition and directing music festivals such as the Académie-Festival des Arcs.Greif's music is rooted in the late twentieth century tonal styles of Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich with a strong element of folk music, as well as a gestural affinity for Franz Liszt.There is often a dark colouration to the sound, with a favoring of minor modes even in the context of works with a major pull to their tonality.