German jazz pianist, arranger, composer and orchestra leader, born 12 July 1927 in Heidelberg, died 26.06.1998 in Ostfildern. From 1959 to 1961 he played piano in the Fritz Münzer Quintett. In 1967 Kirchgäßner replaced Horst Jankowski as pianist in Erwin Lehn Und Sein Südfunk Tanzorchester and stayed there until 1982. He co-founded Edition Orix and Orix together with Lothar Kloeren in 1970.