Heiko Wandler studied musicology, sociology, philosophy, multimedia and music informatics at the Karlsruhe University of Music and the University of Karlsruhe. In his doctoral thesis at the Karlsruhe University of Music, he examined the interactions between music technology and sound aesthetics in popular music.
This was followed by a position as programme manager and programme director at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg from 2009 to 2022. He was appointed professor at the Popakademie in 2014 and continues to teach there.
From 2022 to 2025, he was training coordinator in the Baden-Württemberg State Culture School Programme.
Heiko Wandler has been a lecturer at the Karlsruhe University of Music since 2018 and has been employed there as a research and programme coordinator at the Institute for Music Informatics and Musicology since 2025.
His teaching and research focus on the history, aesthetics and analysis of popular music, sound synthesis, music technology, popular music studies, rhythmics and electronic music production.