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
Willoughby Weiss di Lammermoor" (with Dorus Gras and Henry Whitworth), conducted by Hector Berlioz, in Louis Antoine Jullien's company: soon afterwards Reeves and Weiss sang together again in the premiere of Balfe's opera "Maid of Honour". In 1854 he set Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem ""The Village Blacksmith"" to music, from which he made a considerable fortune. In that year Weiss was in Jarrett's company at Drury Lane, with Reeves, Agnes Büry, Mme Rudersdorff, Louisa Pyne and others, in a season including "Lucia", "Fra Diavolo", "La sonnambula", "Il Seraglio" and "Masaniello". On New Year's Day 1856, with Reeves, Novello and Lewis Thomas, he