Ruth Burton has been a freelance musician for many years. She studied viola at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio in the 1960s. Later, she moved to San Francisco, where she played with the San Jose Symphony, the Berkeley Chamber Orchestra, and the Women's Philharmonic. After coming to Nova Scotia in the 1980s, she became an alternate with the Nova Scotia Symphony. Ruth also formed a string trio, the Candlelight Trio, with members of the symphony, providing music for weddings and events, a service she still offers today. Currently, she is a member of Nova Sinfonia, where she has been principal for several concerts.