 After studying music at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden he began his career in 1951 as Kapellmeister at the theatre in Eisenach.In 1956 he moved to Meiningen, from there Reuter went to Oper Leipzig as general music director in 1961.From 1978 to 1980 he was chief conductor of the Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar.