From 1947 to 1952, he studied classical philology with Erich Reitzenstein [de], music education with Fritz Reuter and musicology with Max Schneider at the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.
In 1960, he was awarded a doctorate with the dissertation Die Musikergenossenschaften im hellenistischrömischen Altertum.
In 1961 he co-initiated the Telemann-Sonntagsmusiken, in 1962, the Magdeburger Telemann-Festtage and in 1974 the scientific workshops on performance practice and interpretation of 17th/18th century music in the Michaelstein Abbey in Blankenburg (Harz Mountains).
In 1962, he became a member of the Magdeburg working group "Georg Philipp Telemann" in the Cultural Association of the GDR and section head of musicology in the Halle-Magdeburg district association in the Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR [de].
From 1972 to 1998, he was a member of the scientific advisory board of the Institute of Performance Practice Michaelstein.