Ruth Bader Ginsburg Shares Her Love of Classical Opera

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently sat down with SiriusXM and Pandora to discuss one of her loves: classical opera. Hear Ginsburg’s special, “A Love Supreme: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Opera,” on Met Opera Radio.

Recorded at the U.S. Supreme Court, Ginsburg hand-picked more than a dozen classics and commented on many of her favorites in conversation with Met Opera Radio Program Director Julie James. But this special goes beyond simple symphony commentary; Ginsburg also recalled the freeing act of experiencing a performance (which is likely no small feat in her seemingly tireless line of work) and dove into some of her earliest memories of opera.

“My passion for opera began in 1944,” Ginsburg said. “I was 11 years old and my aunt — who taught English in a middle school in Brooklyn, New York — took me to a high school where there was an abbreviated performance of ‘La Gioconda.’ I was just blown away by it. I’d never heard such glorious music.”