Michael Forster, born in Bayreuth in 1977, has been Professor of Elementary Music Education at the University of Music Würzburg since October 2018. He also holds teaching positions at the University Mozarteum Salzburg and at the Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg.

Michael Forster began his musical education at the Berufsfachschule für Musik Sulzbach-Rosenberg (1994-1996). He then studied Catholic Church Music at the Meistersinger Conservatory of the City of Nuremberg (1996-2001) and Elementary Music Education with Prof. Vroni Priesner at the University of Music Nuremberg (2001-2005). There followed a two-year postgraduate study in music pedagogy (2005-2007). He also completed the university course "Elementary Music and Movement Pedagogy" (2008-2009) at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, Department Orff Institute.

He gained experience in the practical field of elementary music education at the Städt. Musikschule Bamberg (2002-2017). He was a member of the management team of the Städt. Music School, responsible for cooperation with daycare centers and general education schools (2013-2017). His responsibilities also included musical activities for preschool children, choir work with children, music theater projects, cooperations with elementary schools (singing classes, play circles) and music education projects such as "Buenos dias, Bolero" with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra - Bavarian State Philharmonic Orchestra.

Michael Forster was employed as an academic councilor in the degree programme Elementary Music Education at the University of Music Nuremberg (2006-2018) and lecturer at the Chair of Music Education and Music Didactics at the Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg (2012-2018).

In the context of the initiatives MUBIKIN and Wachsen mit Musik (Growing with Music ), he leads the continuing education series for educators in Nuremberg together with Prof. Doris Hamann. Since October 2014, he has been the course director in the certification course Music Geragogy of the Verband Bayerischer Sing- und Musikschulen e. V. (Association of Bavarian Singing and Music Schools). He is also active as a lecturer for further and advanced training courses for the Franconian Singers' Association, the Tonkünstlerverband and the Orff-Schulwerk-Gesellschaft, among others.

He is represented in the following professional networks: Arbeitskreis Elementare Musikpädagogik, Orff-Schulwerk-Gesellschaft Deutschland e. V., Tonkünstlerverband Bayern e. V., Deutsche Gesellschaft für Musikgeragogik.