| 1925 | born in Mannheim on 28 June |
| 1940–1943 | studies violin, viola and composition at the Städtisches Konservatorium in Berlin with Kurt von Wolfurt, his studies are interrupted by military service and imprisonment |
| 1946 | composition studies at the Internationales Musikinstitut in Berlin with Josef Rufer |
| 1946-1949 | employed in the music division of the Berliner Rundfunk (recording archives, programming) |
| 1946-1951 | composition studies with Boris Blacher |
| 1951-1957 | free-lance composer in Berlin |
| 1957 | succeeds Wolfgang Fortner as teacher of compositin and music theory at the Nordwestdeutsche Musikakademie in Detmold |
| 1959 | wins the award “Großer Kunstpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen für Musik” and a fellowship to the Deutsche Akademie “Villa Massimo” in Rome |
| 1962 | becomes professor |
| 1962/63 | fellowship to the Deutsche Akademie “Villa Massimo” in Rome |
| 1963 | member of the Freie Akademie der Künste in Hamburg |
| 1964 | member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin |
| 1978 | member of the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in Munich |
| 1982 | honorary director of the World Harp Congress |
| ab 1986 | president of the music division of the Dramatiker Union Berlin |
| 1986-1989 | president of the Akademie der Künste Berlin |
| 1999 | Federal Cross of merit (Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz) |
| 2002 | honorary citizen of the city of Detmold |
| 2009 | died in Detmold on 5 October |
