[5] They married – though both had no income yet, and against her family's wishes – on 29 December 1951 in Hamburg, shortly before the composer moved to Paris for studies.

Their best men were the Belgian composer and musicologist Karel Goeyvaerts and the magician artist Alexander Adrion [de].

She accompanied him on several tours, and met friends such as Henri Pousseur, György Ligeti, Cornelius Cardew, Earle Brown, Heinz-Klaus Metzger, David Tudor, Frederic Rzewski, Hugh Davies, and Rolf Gehlhaar, many of whom they often hosted at their home for extended periods.

[6] In the early 1960s, Karlheinz Stockhausen fell in love with the artist Mary Bauermeister, but wanted to stay with his family with four small children.

[9] Karlheinz Stockhausen dedicated Chöre für Doris to her while they were engaged; several more pieces followed during the 1950s.