André Heller

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Franz André Heller (born March 22, 1947) is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.

Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers ("Gustav & Wilhelm Heller").

His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation. It was in this coffeehouse that he met many men of letters including Friedrich Torberg, H. C. Artmann und occasionally Elias Canetti as well as Hans Weigel and Helmut Qualtinger, with whom he later on collaborated and performed. He took acting classes from Hans Weigel and his cohabitee Elfriede Ott.

Heller has been writing prose, poetry, and songs since 1964. He left school shortly before obtaining the Matura, (he went to a Jesuit boarding school). From 1965 to 1967 he was a moderately successful actor at various Viennese avant-garde theatres.

In 1967 Heller co-founded Hitradio Ö3, the ORF's then progressive pop music station, where he was one of the hosts of the daily Musicbox programme.

Jointly with Bernhard Paul, Heller also co-founded the well-known Circus Roncalli in 1976.

From 1976 until 1981, André Heller played major roles in various international movies, this included roles in Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s Hitler: A Film from Germany, Radu Gabrea’s Fürchte Dich nicht, Jakob and Doktor Faustus by Johannes Schaaf.

Heller has received numerous international awards.

He has to date written 14 printed publications, among them collections of stories Die Ernte der Schlaflosigkeit in Wien, Auf und Davon, Schlamassel, Als ich ein Hund war, the novel Schattentaucher, the collection of poems Sitzt ana und glaubt, er is zwa (together with Helmut Qualtinger), as well as two picture books Jagmandir – Traum und Wirklichkeit and Die Zaubergärten des André Heller.

21 TV documentaries have been produced about Heller's projects, productions and plans. These were done by the likes of Werner Herzog, H.J. Syberberg, and Elsa Klensch, among others.

Heller was appointed artistic director of the artistic and cultural programme which ran parallel to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. His company Artevent was also responsible for the successful Presentation of the Germany bid for the FIFA 2006 World Cup project.

Between 1968 and 1983 Heller recorded 15 albums as singer of his own texts and in part of his own compositions. He was on the road with 9 international concert tours, and was the host and entertainer in 12 evening-filling TV shows.

Lately, in 2006—thanks to the initiative of Chris Gelbmann—he released his last album called Ruf und Echo. The 3 CD compendium is the first release in the past 20 years, containing new songs and interpretations of old hits by artists like Brian Eno, Xavier Naidoo, Thomas D. The Walkabouts.

André Heller lives in Vienna and in Gardone Riviera, Lombardy, and travels the world.

[edit] Selected events and projects

[edit] Awards

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Heller, Franz André
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Austrian artist, author, singer and actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 22, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna, Austria
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH