Gérard Zinsstag spent his childhood and teenage years in Geneva. He attended the Calvin College and was educated in the flute at Geneva Conservatory. He attempted composing independently and began, in 1961 until 1963, a postgraduate study at the 'Conservatoire National Supérieur' and the 'Academia Musicale Chigiana' in Sienna. From 1964 until 1967 he toured the length and breadth of Europe as an orchestra musician. From 1967 until 1975 he was engaged by the 'Tonhalle Orchester' in Zurich, and from 1973 until 1975 he studied composition under Hans U. Lehmann at Zurich School of Music. From 1975 until 1977 he studied under Helmut Lachenmann in Stuttgart and Hannover. From 1976 until 1978 he participated in the Darmstadt summer course. In 1979 he travelled to San Francisco and New York and visited seminars at Berkeley University. From 1981 until 1982 he visited Berlin under the German Academic Exchange Programme (DAAD) and in 1982 he received an internship at the Institute of Research and Coordination in Acoustics (IRCAM) in Paris. In 1986 he founded the festival 'Tage für Neue Musik', Zurich. In 1989 he travelled through Russia. In 1986 he was guest of honour at the 'Printemps du Leningrad'. In 1991 he received a sabbatical year from the city of Zurich. From1992 until 1999 he attended seminars and conferences in Bamberg, Moscow, Paris (CNSM, CSM 18ième, IRCAM und Sorbonne), Salzburg, Taipei, Zurich etc. He was also a member of the jury for the compositions prize in Arezzo, Paris, Parma, Taipei and Triest.