Beginning as a contralto at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in 1922, she moved to the Mannheim National Theatre in 1925 where her voice developed to dramatic soprano, to the Stadttheater Düsseldorf in 1930 where she appeared in 1933 in the world premiere of Winfried Zillig's Der Rossknecht and was awarded the title Kammersängerin.

Schlüter received European recognition when she appeared as a guest at the Oper Frankfurt, as Brünnhilde in three parts of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Born in Oldenburg, Schlüter made her stage debut as a contralto at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in 1922,[1] as the Third Lady in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

[2] Between 1930 and 1940, Schlüter belonged to the ensemble of the Stadttheater Düsseldorf[1] directed by Walter Bruno Iltz, first as Senta in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer.

[2] In the Italian repertoire, she appeared as Elena in Verdi's Die sizilianische Vesper, the title role of Puccini's Tosca and Leonora in Il trovatore.

In 1947, Schlüter was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as the first German singer after World War II, to appear as Marschallin and Isolde in two series.

She appeared in the title role of Elektra by Richard Strauss at the Royal Opera House in London in 1947, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham and in the presence of the composer.

Schlüter prepared herself for a change of subject with the Küsterin in Janáček's Jenufa, which she performed impressively at the Hamburg State Opera in 1953/54, but an illness forced her to retire from the stage.

[2] The obituary in Die Welt described Schlüter's voice: "Her soprano, which had a rich capacity for differentiation between radiant power and a luminous pianissimo, had its own brilliance.