Born in Hohenems, Austria, to a family of rich manufacturers, he was appointed cantor at the main synagogue in his hometown when only 16.
Sulzer 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.