Meret Forster
Artistic Director

Meret Forster has been editorial director at BR Klassik since 2011 and artistic director of the competition since 2016, for which she is responsible for overall management.

After intensive piano training with Begona Uriarte, she studied musicology, modern German literature and comparative literature in Tübingen, Amsterdam and Berlin, and wrote her doctoral thesis on Ernst Krenek and Karl Kraus.

She has worked as an author and journalist for several radio stations and print media, and is a founding member of the ‘Akademie Musiktheater heute’ (Academy of Music Theatre Today).

She accompanied the ARD International Music Competition as a freelance radio reporter, editor and jury assistant.

In 2004, she joined MDR in Halle/Leipzig as a music editor and producer before taking over an editorial position at BR Klassik in 2008.

Elisabeth Kozik
Organizational Management

Elisabeth Kozik has been the managing director of the competition since 2009.

After graduating from a music high school, she studied Romance languages with a focus on literature at the University of Silesia in Katowice.

From 1990 to 2001, she taught languages (French, Spanish, and Polish) and worked in the management of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In September 2001, she joined the ARD International Music Competition.

She has been a member of the board of the World Federation of International Music Competitions since 2018 and its vice president since 2021.

Anja Krainz
Project Manager

Anja Krainz has been project manager of the ARD International Music Competition and project director of the ARD Prize Winners’ Festival since 2014.

In addition to vocal training with Roswitha Rieger, she studied sciences of theatre, musicology and modern German literature at Ludwig Maximilian University. She also completed studies in pedagogy/educational sciences and psychology.

Professional positions outside the cultural sector – including as executive assistant at Ernst & Young GmbH – expanded her expertise in strategic organisational management, stakeholder communication and efficient process control. 

She has been closely associated with the ARD competition since 2001: initially working in coordination and artist support, she got to know the project from an operational perspective and developed a keen sense of the needs of artists.

In addition, she has been involved for many years with the Bavarian Industry Association’s educational programme, where she designs and supervises career orientation projects for young people.

Ben Alber
Manager Digital Formats

Benjamin Alber heads the ‘Classical Music Planning and Development’ editorial team at BR Klassik. After graduating with a degree in radio music journalism from the Karlsruhe University of Music, he initially worked as an author and presenter before focusing on expanding Bayerischer Rundfunk’s classical music offerings beyond radio. He was involved in the conception of a standalone website and strengthened the station’s presence on digital platforms and social media. Today, he oversees the strategic and digital direction of BR Klassik and works with his team to develop content for younger target groups and streaming users. As co-lead of the ARD Klassik team, he also coordinates joint offerings within ARD.

His work for the ARD International Music Competition focuses on expanding the stage for participants in the digital space and increasing the visibility of the competition through contemporary content, dramaturgy and platforms.