Lisa Della Casa was born on February 2, 1919 in Burgdorf (Switzerland). She received her training with Margarethe Haeser in Zurich. In 1941, she made her debut as Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) at the Städtebundtheater Biel-Solothurn. After appearances mainly as an actress and concert soprano, she sang Mimì (La Bohème) at the Stadttheater Zürich in 1943 and began her international career in 1947 as Zdenka (Arabella) at the Salzburg Festival.

In 1947 she became a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble. Her most frequently sung roles at the Vienna State Opera include Contessa d'Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Feldmarschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and the title roles in Ariadne auf Naxos and Arabella.

The soprano made regular guest appearances at the Salzburg Festival, London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Bavarian State Opera, La Scala in Milan and the New York Met. Lisa Della Casa was awarded the title of Austrian Kammersängerin on October 7, 1952, and the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art I Class on November 26, 1969. In 1987, she was made an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera.