Edith Mathis was born in 1938 and studied voice at the Lucerne Conservatory with Elisabeth Bossart, making her operatic debut in 1956 at the Luzerner Theater. She was based at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1963 to 1971, appeared at the Metropolitan Opera between 1970 and 1972, later taught Lied interpretation at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (1992-2006), and retired from the stage in 2001. She died in 2025 at age 86.

A leading lyric-soprano Mozartian of her generation, Mathis was celebrated for roles such as Cherubino, Susanna, Zerlina and Pamina, and took part in premieres of works by Henze, Menotti and Einem. Her extensive discography includes 75 Bach cantatas with Karl Richter, Mahler symphonies and Lieder by Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Strauss and Wolf; a recording of her Figaro duet was famously used in the film The Shawshank Redemption. She received the Mozart Medal (1976) and was named a Bavarian Kammersängerin (1979) among other honors.