Michael Arlt lived in the U.S. and Holland from 1984 to 1989 and studied at Berklee College of Music, Boston and Amsterdam University of the Arts, Hilversum. His teachers included Mike Metheny, John La Porta, John Scofield, Wim Overgaauw, Mark Elf and Pat Martino. From 1990 to 2000 Michael Arlt was a lecturer at the Hermann Zilcher Conservatory and has been a lecturer at the University of Music Würzburg since 2001. In addition, he has taught at a number of jazz workshops, including ArtEZ Conservatorium in Enschede, NL and Berklee College of Music.

Arlt has worked with a growing circle of international musicians since 1986. He has performed, toured and recorded with Red Holloway, Paquito D`Rivera, Houston Person, Maria de Fatima, Jerry Granelli, Rick Hollander, Joris Teepe, Roman Schwaller, "Grooveyard", Thomas Stabenow, Martin Classen, Luciano Biondini, Rainer Glas, Walter Lang, Oliver Kent, Henning Sieverts, Falk Willis, the Werneck Castle Orchestra, José Cortijo, Jean-Yves Jung, Keith Copeland, Sigi Busch, Tony Lakatos, Jean-Marc Robin, Matthias Rüegg, Caroline de Rooij, Jon Sass, Adrian Mears, Itaiguara Brandão, Gustavo Bergalli, Portinho Trio feat. Klaus Mueller and Kip Reed, Viviane de Farias and many others in Denmark, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Poland, Austria, USA and throughout Germany. In addition, there were festival appearances in Perugia (Umbria Jazz Festival), at the Thuringian Festival Guitar/World Music, Jazzwoche Hannover, Worms Jazzt, Jazzfest Gronau, Intern. Jazzwoche Burghausen, JIM Festival Munich, Jazzmeile Thüringen, Jazztime Hildesheim, Jazz Lights Oberkochen, Schweinfurter Jazztage.... Radio and television appearances include WDR, Deutschlandfunk, BR, SDR, MDR, Radio Jazz Copenhagen, WVOF Fairfield, CT and various local radio stations. Michael Arlt has worked as a guitarist, composer and producer on more than 40 CD productions.

Although his work can essentially be described as "straight ahead jazz", Michael Arlt can also be heard as a guitarist in songs and on albums by international bands of other styles such as "Weathertunes", "Lemongrass", "Tafubar", "Derrick" (Sunday Room) or Nana Wang (Lost the Eden). International labels like Peacelounge, Sony/BMG, Mole Listening Pearls, Ayia Napa, Zyx and Lemongrass Music like to use his guitar playing for compilation CDs and new recordings.

The fifth album from his "transatlantic" trio WE THREE - "Moment To Moment!" ( feat. Dan Kostelnik & Scott Neumann) - was voted "CD of the Year" by the Archtop-Germany website in 2009.

Most recently "Michael Arlt BRAZILIANA - Terra Distante" was released on the Munich GLM/FINE MUSIC label, a production with 10 musicians from 7 countries.