Edith Mathis

Born on February 11, 1938, in Lucerne, Switzerland, Edith Mathis is an award-winning soprano who specializes in interpreting the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, although she also performs the works of other classic composers. She is best known outside of classical music circles for her duet with Gundula Janowitz on a segment of Le Nozze di Figaro that was featured in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption. Edith Mathis made her operatic debut in Die Zauberflöte in 1956 which led to more stage experience over the next three years. She made her international debut in 1959, performing at the Cologne Opera in Germany. She continued her career with performances at the Glyndebourne Festival yin Hamburg, Germany and at the Salzburg Festival in Austria. In 1970, she made her debut at the Met in New York City, and at Covent Garden (The Royal Opera House) in London, England. While she has performed in many of Mozart’s operas – including Le Nozze di Figar, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutte – Edith Mathis has also earned critical acclaim for her roles in Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Weber’s Der Freischütz, Menotti’s Help, Help, the Globolinks!, Henze’s Der Junge Lord, and others. Throughout her career, she has been honored with many awards including the International Mozarteum Foundation’s Mozart Medal and the Prix Mondial du Disque. Edith Mathis’ acclaimed catalog includes titles such as Handel’s Neun Deutsche Arien (1966), Beethoven’s Fidelio as Marcellina (1969), Berlioz’ La damnation de Faust as Marguerite (1973), Brahms’ Volkslieder, Volks-Kinderlieder (1975), and others. She’s also recorded some of Mozart’s works several times including his beloved Requiem, which she performed with the New Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus (1963) and the Wiener Philharmoniker (1971). Edith Mathis died in Salzburg on February 9, 2025, two days prior her 87th birthday.