Born in 1930 in Gornsdorf, Germany, Dittrich studied at the School of Music in Leipzig from 1951-1956 and was a master's student under Rudolf Wagner-Régeny for composition in Berlin from 1958-1960. There he taught composition, aural training, counterpoint, and form from 1960-1976. He then worked freelance until 1990. In 1978 he became professor for composition and was a visiting professor in Freiburg/Breisgau, Los Angeles, Paris, and Cologne. From 1983-1991 he trained master students at the Academy of the Arts Berlin. In 1981 and 1987 Dittrich was a Rockefeller Foundation "scholar in residence" in Bellagio, Italy.

1990-2002 Dittrich was professor of composition at the School of Music "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin. During this time he also worked as a visiting professor at the Daegu University in South Korea, the Samuel Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Dittrich has worked in various electronic studios: in Switzerland, Warsaw, in Cologne, and at the Paris IRCAM.

In 1991 Dittrich founded the Brandenburg Colloquium for New Music and until 2000, he acted as artistic director, conducting international master classes for composition.

Paul-Heinz Dittrich was a member of the Academy of the Arts Berlin and the Saxonian Academy of the Arts Dresden.

The scope of his compositions includes various genres: music for solo instruments, instrumental and vocal chamber music, music with live-electronics, scenic chamber music, and orchestral works. His compositions have been performed in many European countries, in the USA, and in Asia.

The composer Paul-Heinz Dittrich passed away on Dec. 28th 2020 in Zeuthen.