Dörte Wetzel began playing the violin at the age of eight, and four years later she was admitted to the Berlin Special School for Music (Musikgymnasium Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach). She completed her studies with Professor Eberhard Feltz, finishing with an additional year of advanced study as a soloist with the university orchestra. She subsequently worked as an orchestral musician with the Berlin Radio Orchestra and as a trained violin pedagogue at the Berlin Special School for Music. 

Already during her studies, she was active with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and became a member of the ensemble. She further refined her technique on historical instruments with Professor Eduard Melkus and Ingrid Seifert. In addition to numerous recordings with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Dörte Wetzel recorded a CD entitled Lust und Leben with the Boreas Ensemble, Midori Seiler, and Anke Hermann for the Berlin label KammerTon, featuring music by Pachelbel, Erlebach, and others.