Gerhard Heinz

Austrian Film Composer and Musician

Austrian composer, lyricist and pianist, born 9 September 1927 in Vienna, Austria. Gerhard Heinz started as young composer in the '60s. He worked for Polydor as a producer and as a singing coach for non-German speaking Schlager stars like Connie Francis, Milva, Rita Pavone, and Domenico Modugno as well as for Peter Kraus and Freddy Quinn. In 1961 composed his first scores for German and Austrian films, mostly B and C-grade comedies and sleazy soft-core action thrillers. Heinz frequently traveled between Vienna and Munich, and was soon highly-sought after for porn soundtracks. His music was an infectious soul jazz with funk and disco flavor. Heinz composed over 130 scores for a wide variety of films. Though best known for music he wrote for exploitation movies, one of his most prestigious collaborations was with Austrian director Franz Antel. Heinz scored Antel's four-part series Der Bockerer, about a naive Viennese butcher in Nazi Germany. These films, among the most highly regarded in Austrian cinema, spanned three decades, the first installment released in 1981, and the final film in 2003.