Kilian Forster studied classical contrabass at the conservatories of Munich and Berlin, and was a“Herbert-von-Karajan-Foundation” scholar for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In the early years of his career Forster played as lead contrabassist with various renowned orchestras such as the “Tanglewood Festival Orchestra” and the “Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival Orchestra”. At that time, highly acclaimed conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Sergiu Celibidache and Riccardo Muti had strongly influenced Forster’s musical path. In 1992, he took the position of a substitute lead-contrabassist with the “Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra”, switching four years later to the “Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra”.
During this time, Kilian Forster’s secret love gained more and more importance, eventually taking up his entire creative work. In appreciation for the various genres within jazz along with its freedom of musical expression, Forster began to specifically focus on classical crossover. In 1999, he founded the now internationally renowned trio “Klazz Brothers”, which takes centre stage of his creative work. In addition, Forster has acted as an initiator for various projects including: the launch of the “Dresden Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra” (participating as musical director), and the production and conducting of the “Messiah Superstar”; a modern adaptation of Handel’s celebrated oratorio in which baroque melodies and stylistic devices are intertwined with spiritual gospel and classic jazz. Moreover, Forster has performed not only with the trio Klazz Brothers, but also with other famous ensembles like the “String 4 Swing” and the “Nassler & Schneider”. He has also performed with prominent solo artists like Roby Lakatos, Madeleine Peyroux and Giora Feidmann.
Forster rendered outstanding services to Dresden’s music scene by launching the “Unkersdorfer Jazztage”, an initially small jazz festival in a church that over the years turned into “Jazztage Dresden”, the biggest jazz festival of Middle Germany. Especially within the genres of jazz and crossover, Forster succeeded hereby in putting innovative emphasis on the city’s music life, presenting celebrated and distinguished artists of the jazz world such as Al di Meola, Shakatak, Christopher Cross, Dorretta Carter, Paul Kuhn, and many more.
Not only as solo contrabassist, but also with Klazz Brothers, Forster has shared the stage with a range of internationally celebrated jazz artists like: James Morrison, Jacques Loussier, Joscho Stephan and Leonid Chizhik.