25.5.1950 Born in Weil on the Rhein (Germany), he was the first child of Gisela and Hansjörg Schneider. Original name: Norbert Jürgen Schneider.
1957-1969 School in Weil on the Rhein and Lörrach. In this time he learned to play various instruments (in chronological order): the accordion, trumpet, violin, viola, piano and organ. He graduated from the Hans-Thoma-Gymnasium high school in Lörrach in 1969
1969-1977 Third-level education at the Musikhochschule Freiburg (Study courses: school music, music theory, organ, trumpet) and at Freiburg University (Universität Freiburg) (musicology, history, German language and literature studies, linguistics)
1969-1975 Organist position in Huningue (France)
1971-1975 Member of the pop group KAKTUS (keyboards, vocals, trumpet)
1972 Married his school girlfiend Ingeborg (*1951).
1973-1979 Teaching positions at the Musikhochschule Freiburg (composition, counterpoint, analysis) Durchgehend Lehraufträge an der Musikhochschule Freiburg (Tonsatz, Kontrapunkt, Analyse), at the musicology seminar at Freiburg University(Universität Freiburg) (musicology) and at the Pädagogischen Hochschule Freiburg (music history)
1975 First recording as organist and conductor with Prodisc Strasbourg with the LP "Noel Huningue".
1975-1982 Moved to Hinterzarten (Black Forest) with a position as organist and choir master. . He gained extensive experience as director of the Collegium Musicum.
1977 He got his Dr. Phil title at the Freiburg University (Universität Freiburg) with the musicologist Hans-Heinrich Eggebrecht.
1977 His daughter Christiane was born.
1978 First publication of the book "Pop Music" (Publisher: Katzbichler- Verlag), as essay "Mediantische Harmonik by Ludwig van Beethoven" in the musicology archive ( Archiv für Musikwissenschaft) and around 400 lexicon articles for publisher F.A.Brockhaus-Verlag.
1979 Issuer of Hindemith's last opera "The Long Christmas Dinner" as part of the Hindemith- Complete Edition.
1979 Teaching position at the Munich Music Academy Hochschule für Musik in München (music theory professor until 1996).
1980 His son Gabriel was born.
1982 Moved to Baldheim, Munich.
1982 He started to compose for film and TV and became a guest lecturer at the academy for Film and TV in Munich (Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen)
1983 His first major stage work, the chamber opera The Salome Principle ("Das Salome-Prinzip" ) after Oscar Wilde, for six singers and eleven instruments.
1984 He started working in theatre music with the world premiere of Botho Strauß's The Park ("Der Park") directed by Dieter Bitterli) at the Städtischen Bühnen in Freiburg.
1986 Publication work on the theme of audio visual culture began with the Handbook of film music/music dramaturgy in German film (Ischläger Publications)
1988 His first recording studio (Tonstudio Augenklang) was built in Baldhein, MunichIn München-Baldham
1988 Success as a film music composer starts with the soundtrack to the film "Autumn Milk" (Herbstmilch) directed by Joseph Vilsmaier.
1989 The handbook for film music II for documentary films (Ischläger publications)
seit 1990 Permanent lecturer at the ZFP (the ARD and ZDF further education centre) Hannover.
1991 Bavarian film prize for music (for the soundtrack to the film Rama Dama", directed by Joseph Vilsmaier), Federal Filmstrip Gold for the film music for "Wildfeuer" (directed by Jo Baier) and "Leise Schatten" (directed by Sherry Horman).
1991 The publication of the book " The Art of Sharing. Time-Rhythm-Number" (Publisher: Piper-Verlag München) was the result of an intensive phase dedicated to time and rhythm.
1993 Teaching position at the State Film Institute in Pune, India (Staatlichen Filminstitut in Pune)
1995 A close collaboration with the publisher Schott-Verlag in Mainz began and also the launching of the first CD "The sounds of Light - internal music" ("Klänge des Lichts - Musik nach Innen" ) with the label Wergo, with pieces for choir, soprano and organ. He also got a teaching position at the Leipzig university (Universität Leipzig) for "Music in the Media".
1996 Successful application for a new professorship for "Composing for Film and TV" at the Munich Music Academy (Münchner Musikhochschule)
1997 Building of a new "Composers House" in Munich with an advanced recording studio (Greenhouse Studio).
1997 im Buch "Komponieren für Film und Fernsehen - ein Handbuch" (Schott-Verlag Mainz) wird eine Summe der filmmusikalischen Arbeit gezogen.
1999 The following three world premieres, work for concert halls and stage was intensified: Opera "Albert warum?" (January) at the Regensburg Theatre, the 92 minute piece "Glockensinfonie Lied an das Leben" ("Bell Symphony, Song to Life) at the Domstufen Festival in Erfurt, and the piano concert "Evolution" (December) with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Madrid.
2000 World premieres of the orchestral work "Furiant“ (Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra) in the Prinzregenten-Theater in Munich (March), "Crucifixus“ for saxophone quartet and organ in the Erfurt Cathedral (Erfurter Dom) with the Raschèr Quartet (May), and "Resonanzen“, symphonic dances with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Madrid in Madrid (December).
2001 Was awarded the "Fipa d’or“ (best european film music "series et feuilletons") at the Int. Filmfestival Biarritz in January. World premiere of the second symphony "SISYPHOS“ for percussion and orchestra in the Herkulessaal in Munich (Münchner Herkulessaal) in February.
A considerable reduction in the more entertainment orientated genres of film music composing due to illness (Pancreatitis, Type 1 diabetes)
2002 Two opera premieres: "The Salome Principle" ("Salome-Prinzip“) in March at the theatre in Revier (Musiktheater im Revier) and in April in the National Theatre in Luxembourg (Théatre National de Luxembourg) ; "Diana – Cry for Love“ in the Theatre in Görlitz (Theater Görlitz) in October.
Participant/jury at the Filmmusikbiennale Bonn in July.
2003 In January/February he worked on the film and cd for "Schwabenkinder“ (Swabian Children, a film by Baier)
Seminars at the Oldenburg University (Universität Oldenburg) and the Konrad Wolff Film School (Filmhochschule Konrad Wolff ) in Babelsberg.
World premiere of "Changes" ("Veränderungen“), a concert for sheng and orchestra in March. The interest in archaic ethnological music can be seen here.
The book "Time-Rhythm-Count" was released in June. It is a book about the basics of music and culture, published by BoD/Norderstedt.
24.6.2003 Elected the "E" music ambassador of composers for GEMA. The main focus is working with the board of industry and trade, the distribution commission, the evaluation board and the program board.
2004 It was a productive year, with the world premieres of three big works for stage: Signalman Thiel ("Bahnwärter Thiel" , opera) at Theater Görlitz in February, "Zerofour-Nobody comes past God ( "Nullvier - keiner kommt an Gott vorbei" ) for the 100th Jubilee of Schalke 04 at the Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen, and the Ballet-opera "Krabat or the Creation of the World ("Krabat - oder die Erschaffung der Welt"), which was performed many times around Europe with the Sorbian National Ensemble Bautzen (sorbischen Nationalensemble Bautzen). He also composed a lot of works, such as the orchestral piece "The Tinguely Machine" (world premiere in September 2004 in Berlin) among others. Highlights of film music are the score for Jo Baier's "Stauffenberg" (nominated for the German TV Prize 2004), the cinema film "Bibi Blocksberg and the secret of the Blue Owl ("Bibi Blocksberg und das Geheimnis der Blauen Eulen"), the music for Guido Knopp's "Hitlers Manager" and the "The Miracle of Bern - The True Story" ("Das Wunder von Bern - Die wahre Geschichte"), which was awarded the German TV Prize (Deutschen Fernsehpreis).
2005 World premiere of 7th full length stage work "Prince Pueckler - I am a Chile of Fantasy" ("Fürst Pückler - Ich bin ein Kind der Phantasie") on the 29th April 2006. Organ Symphony Nr. 1 "Pater Noster" was the first of 12 organ symphonies. war bestimmt von der Arbeit am 7. abendfüllenden Bühnenwerk "Fürst Pückler - Ich bin ein Kind der Phantasie" (UA Theater Görlitz am 29.4.2006). The film music for "Judas of Tirol" ("Judas von Tirol", Zieglerfilm/ARD), "Der Lenkbare Großvater" ("The Steerable Grandfather", Seitzfilm/ARD), the documentaries "The Storm" ("Der Sturm"), "Holocaust" ("Holocaust"), "Goodbye DDR" ("Good bye DDR") and "Drama from Dresden" ("Drama von Dresden", awarded an Emmy Award in 2005 for best documentary) were created.
2006 Organ Symphony Nr. 2 "Die Marianische" (world premiere on the 29th of April 2006 in the St. Gallen Cathedral), the orchestral piece "At the edge of time. Reflections on Mozarts Requiem KV 626" (world premiere on the 9th of February 2006 in Romania) and a version for symphonic organ by the same name. Film music highlights include the score for Jo Baier's "Not Everyone were Murderers" ( "Nicht alle waren Mörder" , Teamworx/ARD).
2007 World premiere of "Cornissimo“ for 12 groups of French Horns with 225 interpretations for the 225th jubilee of the music instrument manufacturer Gebr. Alexander (Musikinstrumentenmanufaktur Gebr. Alexander), Mainz.
German TV Prize (Deutscher Fernsehpreis) Best Film Music for "The Escape" ("Die Flucht“, directed by Kai Wessel) and for "Not Everyone were Murderers ("Nicht alle waren Mörder“, directed by Jo Baier)
2008 World premiere of "The Canticle of the Sun of Francis of Assisi" („Der Sonnengesang des Franz von Assisi“) with the Regensburger Domspatzen in Vryheid (South Africa)
World premiere of the 3rd Symphony "Chinese Seasons" ("Chinesische Jahreszeiten“) for alto, sheng and orchestra as part of theInternationalen Sommerphilharmonie Leoben (Steiermark)
2009 World premiere of "Seligpreisungen – in memoriam Leipzig 1989“ as part of the memorial celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall.
World premiere of the Organ Symphony Nr. 7 (Basilika Waldsassen), Nr. 8 (Mariendom Erfurt) und Nr. 9 (Frauendom München)
World premiere of the Oratorio "Augustinus" in November 2009