Ruth Ann Swenson is an American operatic soprano born on August 25, 1959, in Bronxville, New York. Swenson was raised in Commack, Long Island, and trained at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and the Hartt College of Music. In the early 1980s, the musician joined the Merola Opera Program at the San Francisco Opera. In 1983, she made her debut with the San Francisco Opera as Despina in Così Fan Tutte. Her breakthrough role was Dorinda in the opera Orlando. In 1991, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Her recording career included appearances on the albums James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala (1996), Marilyn Horne: Divas in Song, and Ruth Ann Swenson: Positively Golden. She also performed on the recording of Gounod: Roméo et Juliette. In 1993, Swenson received the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Award. In 2006, she earned an honorary doctorate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 2008, she was awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal.
