麥可．柯斯提克生於科隆，九歲開始學習鋼琴，11 歲時獲得德國「青年音樂家」（Jugend musiziert）比賽第一名，後進入科隆高等音樂學院師從特羅斯特（Jürgen Tröster），1974 年起在漢諾瓦師從雷格拉夫（Hans Leygraf），同年赴莫斯科參加俄羅斯著名鋼琴家妮可萊耶娃（Tatiana Nikolaieva）大師班學習，並數次與她合作演出。1975年在科隆舉辦首次獨奏音樂會演奏貝多芬奏鳴曲 op. 106 和 op. 111。1976 年柯斯提克以全額獎學金進入美國紐約茱麗亞音樂學院，成為著名鋼琴教育家葛羅德尼斯基（Sascha Gorodnitzki）的學生。1983 年贏得「德國青年藝術家音樂會大獎」（Bundesauswahl Konzerte junger Künstler）。

柯斯提克在德奧古典音樂界被公認為「當代最重要的貝多芬演奏家之一」（ Audiophile 和 Fono Forum 雜誌），他的演奏以嚴格尊重作品、深度演繹和完美技術著稱。柯斯提克的演奏曲目極為廣泛，涵蓋 120 多部鋼琴協奏曲和無以計數的鋼琴獨奏和室內樂曲，其中包括貝多芬全部 32 支奏鳴曲，經常演奏的作曲家作品有貝多芬、布拉姆斯、李斯特、舒伯特、拉赫瑪尼諾夫、巴爾托克、普羅高菲夫、德布西等。

柯斯提克與德國和奧地利數家唱片公司合作錄製了 50 多張 CD, 並多次獲得德國以及歐洲許多重要的古典音樂獎項，其中包括 2005 年德國古典音樂回聲獎 Echo Klassik、2009 年法國坎城MIDEM古典音樂獎以及六次德國唱片評論家獎（Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik），最近一次是在 2014 年 11 月，他錄製的貝多芬奏鳴曲 op. 106 曾受到《時代報》（Die Zeit）和《南德意志報》（Süddeutsche Zeitung）特別報導與高度評價。評論家 Jürgen Otten 在他的經典著作《當代最重要鋼琴家》（Die großen Pianisten der Gegenwart）中將柯斯提克列入德國當代四位優秀鋼琴家之一，Ingo Harden和Gregor Willmes 在他們的百科全書《鋼琴家》（Pianisten Profile）中稱他的演奏有「無與倫比的深度」。

柯斯提克自 2014 年起定居奧地利林茲，並擔任林茲布魯克納音樂藝術大學（Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität）的鋼琴教授。

Michael Korstick received his first piano lessons at the age of 9 and was first prize winner of the "Jugend musiziert" competition in Cologne at the age of 11. After graduating from high school he entered the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Cologne as a student of Jürgen Tröster, and in 1974 he became a student of Hans Leygraf in Hanover. In the same year he took master classes from the Russian pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva and subsequently worked with her on several occasions. He made his formal concert début in Cologne in 1975, performing Beethoven's sonatas op.106 and op.111.

In 1976 Korstick went to the United States to continue his studies at The Juilliard School in New York where he was a scholarship student of Sascha Gorodnitzki until 1983. He spent several summers at the Aspen Music Festival and School as a student of Jeaneane Dowis. After winning the Competition of German Music Council, he returned to Germany in 1983 to start his concert career.

Critics have called Michael Korstick "one of the most important Beethoven performers of our time" (Audiophile, Fono Forum). His repertoire consists of more than 120 works for piano and orchestra and a large number of solo works from all periods, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven. On his worldwide concert tours he has given cyclical performances of the piano concerti of Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Bartók, and Prokofiev.

Michael Korstick has made more than 50 CD recordings so far, among them most notably Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas (the complete edition was released in 2012). He has been the recipient of Germany's Echo Klassik prize in 2005, the MIDEM Classical Award Cannes in 2009, as well as of six "Awards of the German Record Critics", most recently in November 2014. His 2003 recording of Beethoven's Sonata op.106 ("Hammerklavier") has been the subject of feature articles in Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung. Jürgen Otten included him in his 2009 standard work "Die großen Pianisten der Gegenwart" (The Great Pianists of Our Time) as one of four German pianists. In Ingo Harden and Gregor Willmes' "PianistenProfile"(Pianists Profiles) his playing is described to be of "overwhelming intensity".

Michael Korstick lives and works in Linz, Austria, where he is a full professor at Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität.