In Memory of Dr. Wulf-Dieter Lugert

Loss of our FORTE Creator and Company Founder

Dear FORTE users,

It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Wulf-Dieter Lugert, founder of the Lugert publishing house, pioneer of music education, and the visionary behind the music notation software FORTE & ScanScore, has passed away.

FORTE – A Passion Project

From this belief, FORTE was born—an intuitive and powerful music notation program developed to democratize notation. A tool that allowed beginners and professionals alike to bring musical ideas to life quickly and clearly. Made in Germany, shaped by the needs of musicians, educators, and ensembles.

For many of you, FORTE has become a musical home—and for us, too, it has long been a central pillar.

The Direction Shifts – But Not the Mission

In recent years, our development focus has gradually shifted. As music software and workflows evolved, so did our approach.

ScanScore, our notation scanning software, has come to the forefront: a tool that detects printed music, digitizes it, allows for editing and transposition, and integrates seamlessly with other programs. You might know the earlier ScanScore that was integrated in FORTE, which is not sold and not compatible anymore. Instead, ScanScore 3 was developed as a standalone software, that also can write music and scans sheets supported by AI.

FORTE remains available for now, but extended support and development cannot be pursued. We kindly ask you not to address inquiries related to specific topics around FORTE.

Major development efforts are now focused on ScanScore. If you regularly work with printed scores, digital workflows, or MusicXML, we warmly invite you to explore ScanScore—a continuation of Lugert’s vision, refined for today.

“Lugert’s Unfinished”: Bandora

Wulf-Dieter Lugert’s final dream project was Bandora—a flexible music arranger designed to help musicians easily shape and perform their ideas. He tweaked code even in his last days. While the project remained incomplete at the time of his passing, development might be continued somewhen in the future. Possibly with the support of modern AI technologies. Early versions are already available for Windows users.

A Lasting Legacy

Wulf-Dieter Lugert left behind more than software—he left a philosophy. Whether you write music in FORTE or ScanScore, you carry forward a legacy rooted in clarity, accessibility, and human connection through music.

In silent remembrance,

The FORTE team