Schulze initially worked as an elementary school teacher in Hamburg.
There, he also received his first vocal pedagogy training from Karl Voigt, which was later refined in London with the singer and music teacher Manuel Garcia.
In addition, Schulze gave singing lessons there.
In the mid-1870s, he was appointed professor and conductor of the singing class at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Schulze retired in autumn 1910, which he spent in Jena, where he died in April 1920 shortly before reaching the age of 85.