* 1935
Born January 31st, 1935 in Stein am Rhein (Switzerland). Apprenticeship as cabinet maker in his father workshop. Evening school Juventus in Zurich, A-level in 1960. Studied chemistry at the ETHZ (Technical University) in Zurich; doctorate with Prof. F. Gerson (1964-1968). 1969-1994: Scientific research at the ETHZ with Prof. J.F.M. Oth (Laboratories of Organic Chemistry); the last years as Oberassistent. J.P. Heinzer: “I very much like scientific research work. But music is even more important to me, Sometimes, on Sundays, my father played Swiss Country Music on his homemade zither. I loved listening and learnt to play the instrument. However, the possibilities of the zither grew too narrow for me. I started the piano, first as an autodidact, then with Rico Vonesch and during the doctorate with Amadeus Schwarzkopf at the Zurich Music academy. In 1963/64 IU composed some pieces for my brothers, hoping to encourage them to play chamber music with me. In 1964/54 I wrote a Violin Sonata and a Piano Trio. In 1972 I met the violoncellist Doris Maria Sigrist. She became the companion of my life and very much supports my activities as a composer. We do play music together. Not counting the early works, I have written 19 chamber music works and 13 works for orchestra (4 symphonies, a cello concerto, two pieces for piano trio and orchestra, a piano concerto and a concerto for trumpet, bassoon and orchestra)”.
