Simon Forster

Simon Forster studied classical percussion at the Bern University of the Arts (HKB) from autumn 2006 to summer 2012. His Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2009 was followed by a Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy in 2011 with distinction and a subsequent Certifcate of Advanced Studies in the core subject of timpani and percussion. From 2012 he studied in the master class of Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Peter Sadlo at the University Mozarteum Salzburg, graduating with distinction in 2015.

Other important teachers during his studies were professors Hans-Jürg Wahlich, Harald Glamsch, Christian Hartmann and Willi Forster. Additional further training during his studies in jazz percussion with Jan Fabricky (Bern) and Arno Haselsteiner (Salzburg) and hand percussion courses in conga, djembe, cajon, shaker and Indian rhythms with Hakim Ludin broaden his profile. Before his studies he regularly participated with great success in regional and national competitions both as a soloist and as an ensemble player.

Simon was a member of the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has played in various orchestras as an additional member. Since 2016 he has been a member of the Percussion Art Ensemble Bern, in which he has premiered several works. In 2019 he founded the percussion competition "Swiss Percussion Competition", which takes place annually in Winterthur, with several hundred participants from all over Switzerland, as well as from abroad. Simon Forster currently teaches at the Musikschule in Weinfelden and the Jugendmusikschule Winterthur und Umgebung.