Heinz Weyringer graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Graz. He worked as a university assistant at the Institute for Constructive Hydraulic Engineering at Graz University of Technology, was civil engineer and court-certified expert for road construction, hydraulic engineering and real estate.

In 1971, Heinz Weyringer took over the divisional management of Gleinalm Autobahn AG, later Pyhrn Autobahn AG. From 1985, he was responsible for development and innovation at ÖSAG and was a member of the Austrian Research Association for Road Construction. He was Austria’s representative in three international technical commissions of the World Road Committee in the areas of motorway maintenance, economic efficiency and environmental protection, as well as at the European Commission in Brussels as an expert in the motorway sector for road pricing and environmental protection.

Since 1995, Heinz Weyringer has dedicated his professional life to culture and in particular to music theatre. In 1995, he founded the Wagner Forum Graz with Prof. Walter Bernhart, which he chaired until 2018. In 1995, together with Prof. Walter Bernhart and Gerhard Brunner (then Artistic Director of Oper Graz), he also founded the first international competition for stage direction and set design, which was to develop into the highly successful RING AWARD. He chaired the organising committee and was the artistic director of the competition from 2008 to 2022.

From 2009 to 2024, he was a committee member of the International Association of Wagner Societies (RWVI) and he co-founded the Mortier Awards for modern music theatre in 2014. Heinz Weyringer was awarded the Golden Medal of Honour of the City of Graz, the Grand Decoration of Honour of the Province of Styria as well as Citizen of Graz. In 2015, he received the Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. Heinz Weyringer has been Honorary President of the RING AWARD since 2023.

Photo (c) Susanne Hassler-Smith