Winfried Toll studied theology and philosophy before he turned to composition and music education. Following him music examinations he studied voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Aldo Baldin. He taught music and voice at the Freiburg Conservatory of Music and began an active career as a concert and opera singer.

At the same time Winfried Toll also worked as a conductor of various ensembles. In 1988 he took over the Camerata Vocale Freiburg. He also received numerous invitations by outstanding orchestras and ensembles as a guest conductor. Among these are the Concerto Koln, the Deutsche Kammerphilhar-monie, Freiburger Barockorchester, the SWR-Vokalensemble, Stuttgart and the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin.

Since 1994, he has been invited as a guest professor on a regular basis to the Musashino University in Tokyo. From 1994 until 2002 he was the choir director of the Kolner Bach-Verein. In the fall of 1997 Winfried Toll was appointed Professor of choral conducting at the Conservatory for Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt / Main. He is the successor to Helmut Rilling and Wolfgang Schafer as conductor of the Frankfurter Kantorei.

In summer 2007, Winfried Toll had an invitation as a guest professor for a masterclass at the University of Rio de Janeiro(Brazil) and as a guest conductor for festivals in Turin, Berlin, Gebellina / Sicity, Biennale Venice, Salzburg, Aix en Provence, Montpelier(France), Erivan(Armenia), Rheingaufestival, Louisville(Kentucky, USA), and vancouver festival(Canada). Now he is directing Camerata Vocale Daejeon as an Artistic Director & Principal Conductor.