Peter Schreier he had decided to become a professional singer he took lessons, at first privately, then later on at the Dresden Academy of Music. He had enough time to also study choral and orchestral conducting. Peter Schreier made his professional debut in August 1959, playing the role of the First Prisoner in "Fidelio" by Beethoven. In the years that followed he was successful as Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" (Abduction from the Seraglio) and somewhat later as Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte" (The Magic Flute), both operas by Mozart. In 1963, he was employed by the Berlin State Opera at
Donald Shanks (bass-baritone) "Norma" with Dame Joan Sutherland, "La bohème" with Luciano Pavarotti, and Banquo in "Macbeth" with Sherrill Milnes. Other roles he became associated with were Zaccharia in "Nabucco", Rocco in "Fidelio", Osmin in "The Abduction from the Seraglio", Boris in "Boris Godunov", Timur in "Turandot", Ramphis in "Aida", Pistol in "Falstaff", Kekal in "The Bartered Bride", Baron Ochs in "Der Rosenkavalier", Nourabad in "The Pearl Fishers", the Commendatore in "Don Giovanni", and a major role in Leoš Janáček's "The Cunning Little Vixen". He created the role of The Maestro in Alan John's 1995 opera "The Eighth Wonder" at the Sydney Opera