From 1982 to 1987 he studied composition with Udo Zimmermann and Wilfried Krätzschmar and violin with Christian Redder at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden[2].
Other important mentors were Paul-Heinz Dittrich, Gret Palucca, the dancer Thomas Hartmann [de] and the painter Günter Firit.
From 1987 to 1994 Hirschfeld taught at the Dresden Academy of Music and the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin.
In 2005 his work Wandlungen V - Doppelkonzert für Violine, Violoncello und Orchester was premiered at the Magdeburg Cathedral for the award of the Kaiser-Otto-Preis [de] to former Federal President of Germany Richard von Weizsäcker.
Until 2023 Hirschfelds works have been published by Verlag Neue Musik Berlin and Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag Leipzig.