Irmgard Seefried was born in Köngetried, near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany. She studied at Augsburg University. Her first appearance in opera was in Aachen where she sang the role of the priestess in Verdi's "Aida" in 1940. She soon began to sing leading parts, and in 1943 she sang the part of Eva in Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at the Vienna State Opera conducted by Karl Böhm. Since then, she belonged to the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera until she retired in 1976.