Born in
Obernburg, Heichele studied at the
Musikhochschule München from 1966, graduating with the artistic exam in 1970. She made her stage debut already during this time as Jenny in Weill's
Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny at the
Stadttheater Klagenfurt. She was engaged at the
Bavarian State Opera in Munich from 1971. She became a member of the ensemble of the
Oper Frankfurt in 1974, where she sang many Mozart roles such as Susanna in
Le nozze di Figaro, Zerlina in
Don Giovanni, Ilia in
Idomeneo, Blonde in
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Despina in
Così fan tutte and Pamina in
Die Zauberflöte. Appearing with
Roland Hermann as the Count and
Margit Neubauer as Cherubino, she was described as a pert Susanna with a flawless voice ("makellos singende, schnippische Susanna"). She took part in the first performance at the Oper Frankfurt of Rameau's
Castor et Pollux in 1980. Heichele appeared as a guest at opera houses in Europe, in 1974 at the
Volksoper in Vienna as Susanna, at the
Vienna State Opera as Marzelline in Beethoven's
Fidelio and as Blonde, at the
Opéra-Comique in Paris as Despina, and at
La Monnaie in Brussels as Susanna in 1984, among others. The same year, she appeared at the
Bayreuth Festival as the Voice of the Forest Bird in
Siegfried. She sang the role of Adele in
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss at the
Royal Opera House in London in 1983, conducted by
Plácido Domingo, alongside
Kiri Te Kanawa as Rosalinde, among others. The production was staged by
Humphrey Burton and recorded as a television film and on DVD. In 1988, she appeared as Elsa in Wagner's
Lohengrin at the
Staatsoper Hannover, and as Elisabeth in
Tannhäuser at the
Nationaltheater Mannheim. In concert, she appeared in Mahler's
Eighth Symphony, conducted by
Michael Gielen, with seven other soloists, three choirs and the
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, at the opening of the
Alte Oper concert hall on 28 August 1981, which was recorded live. == Recordings ==