Born in Rorschach, Switzerland, Cavelti trained her voice first in Zürich, then in Frankfurt with Res Fischer, and in Vienna with Otto Iro.

[1] She appeared as Brangäne in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, as Fricka in his Die Walküre, as Ortrud in his Lohengrin, and in the title role (Octavian) of Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, among others.

[1] The same year, she performed in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea, both at Vicenza's Teatro Olimpico and at La Fenice in Venice.

She performed as a guest at La Scala in Milan several times, including Octavian, Brangäne, Venus in Wagner's Tannhäuser, and the title role of Arthur Honegger's Judith.

[2] Among her students are Claudia Eder, Eva Lind, Gabriele Schnaut, Ortrun Wenkel and Ruth Ziesak.