[2] The family moved to Aarhus, where he studied violin when young, and in his mid-teens began playing clarinet and alto saxophone, focusing on the latter.

He formed the small orchestra Cadentia Nova Danica with Danish and other European musicians; this group collaborated with Musica Elettronica Viva and performed in multi-media events.

Tchicai was a founding member of Amsterdam's Instant Composers Pool in 1968, and in 1969 took part in the recording of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions.

[5] 2021 saw the publication of a biography titled "A Chaos with Some Kind of Order", written by Margriet Naber, Tchicai's former wife and collaborator for 20 years, and published by Ear Heart Mind Media.

[7] With Albert Ayler With the Berlin Jazz Workshop Orchestra With the Binder Quintet With Willem Breuker and Johan van der Keuken With Brotherhood of Breath With the Brus Trio With Burnin' Red Ivanhoe With Curtis Clark With John Coltrane With Peter Danstrup With Dell – Westergaard – Lillinger With Pierre Dørge With Johnny Dyani With John Ehlis With The Engines With Garrison Fewell's Variable Density Sound Orchestra With Charles Gayle With George Gruntz With Paul Hemmings With The Instant Composers Pool With The Jazz Composer's Orchestra With Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith With Adam Lane With John Lennon and Yoko Ono With Jorgen Leth With New York Art Quartet With New York Contemporary Five With Giancarlo Nicolai With the Open Orchestra With Francisco Mondragon Rio With Rent Romus With Archie Shepp With Katrine Suwalski and Another World With Cecil Taylor With Triot With Wiebelfetzer With Yggdrasil With De Zes Winden (The Six Winds)