Latvian mezzo-soprano, Zanda Švēde begins her second season with the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt where roles this season include Zenobia in Radamisto, Sonyetka in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, the title role Carmen and Forester's wife / Owl in Cunning Little Vixen. In her native Latvia, she performs Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder with Sinfonietta Riga and travels to USA to bring further performances of her Carmen to Pittsburgh Opera. In the UK she joins Royal Scottish National Orchestra for performances of Verdi Requiem conducted by Thomas Søndergård.
Last season at Oper Frankfurt she made her house debut as Dryade Ariadne auf Naxos and also sang title roles of Xerxes and Barrie Kosky’s Carmen. To end the season she gave further performances of Carmen in Paul Curran’s production at Seattle Opera.​
Celebrating a long and fruitful relationship with San Francisco Opera since joining its summer Merola Opera Program in 2013, Zanda became an Adler Fellow in Season 2014-15 and remained for three seasons, appearing on the main stage as Flora La Traviata, Tisbe La Cenerentola, Lena in the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s Two Women, Alisa Lucia di Lammermoor, Rychtarka Jenufa, Third Lady Die Zauberflöte, Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Maddalena Rigoletto, Maid The Makropulos Case, and Handmaiden/The Flower in the world premiere of Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber.​
Other principal guest highlights in the US include Zanda's debut at Palm Beach Opera as Suzuki and Olga in Eugene Onegin at Opera Idaho. She made her house debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago as Maddalena in Rigoletto and Grimgerde in Die Walkure. Zanda made her role and house debut in Lyric Opera of Kansas City in the title role of Carmen, winning exceptional reviews.​
Concert appearances include Zanda's debut with San Francisco Symphony in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic in Bernstein's Mass conducted my Gustavo Dudamel.​
Zanda studied in Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in Riga.