Born in Hohenems, Austria, to a family of rich manufacturers, he was appointed cantor at the main synagogue in his hometown when only 16. He studied music in Vienna where he was chief cantor of the new synagogue from 1825 to 1881. His baritone voice attracted non-Jewish as well as Jewish admirers, among them Schubert, Schumann, and Liszt. In 1868 he was appointed knight of the order of Franz Josef. Sulzer's synagogue compositions became the models upon which congregations based their services throughout the year. His Schir Zion appeared in two volumes and while his music and innovations won only limited acceptance in Eastern Europe, they became standard in central Europe.

Bibliography:

SULZER, Salomon. Shir Tsiyon. Score. 3 v. Pp. 540. New York: Sacred Music Press, [1954]

SULZER, Salomon. Zikaron. Score. Pp.108. Wien: G. Lewy, 1890.

SULZER, Salomon. "Shir Zion"; a Friday evening service arranged for use in American synagogues by the Society of American cantors from the "Shir Zion" of Salomon Sulzer. Pp. 32. New York: Bloch publishing company, 1904.

Salomon Sulzer: cantor, composer, innovator : an exhibition from the State of Vorarlberg and the Jewish Museum, Hohenems (Austria) / [idea & concept, Bernhard Purin]. Pp. 132. Bregenz: Land Vorarlberg, c1991.

AVENARY, Hanoch (et. al., eds.). Kantor Salomon Sulzer und seine Zeit: eine Dokumentation.  herausgegeben von Hanoch Avenary in Gemeinschaft mit Walter Pass und Nikolaus Vielmetti; mit einem Beitrag von Israel Adler. Pp. 300, 12 p. of plates, ill. Sigmaringen: J. Thorbecke, 1985.

Links:

The Stadttempel Synagogue in Vienna

Salomon Sulzer - Shir Zion (1922 edition)

Todestag von Salomon Sulzer - Commemorative postal stamp