Irmgard Seefried was born in Kongetried, Swabia in 1919. As a child she studied with her father before attending the Augsburg Conservatory. Her début was in Aachen as the Priestess in Verdi's Aida, in 1940.
After three years in Aachen she was engaged by the Vienna State Opera to sing the role of Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger. The following year she sang in a performance of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, to celebrate the composer's eightieth birthday.
Thereafter she remained with the Vienna State Opera and visited Covent Garden with them in 1947. Her repertoire was wide, but she specialised in Mozart and Strauss parts. She was a regular at festivals such as Lucerne, Salzburg and Edinburgh, and was heard at the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala.
Her last stage performance before her retirement was in Vienna in 1976. She had a most beautiful, warm voice and was an exceptionally perceptive lieder singer.
