From 1983 to March 2000 he was a member of the Petersen Quartet,[5] performed in major international concert halls and released numerous CDs, which have won awards including the Grand Prix Du Disc, the Echo Music Prize and the German Record Critics' Prize.

[9] Concert tours have taken him as a conductor and soloist through Germany, to various countries in Central and South America and to England.

[11] In addition to his chamber music activities, he regularly appears as a soloist and with other renowned chamber music partners, including Steven Bishop, Paul Meyer, Daniel Barenboim, Norbert Brainin and Martin Lovett.

[14] Süßmuth has devoted himself for many years to the training of young musicians at the music academies in Berlin[15] and Weimar and in 2004 accepted an appointment as honorary professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar.

Ludger Vollmer [de] wrote a violin concerto for Gernot Süßmuth in 2020.

He is committed, among other things, to broad cultural support and strengthening of the independent theatre scene and socio-cultural institutions.