[2] She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from New York's Manhattan School of Music.
After graduation from the Manhattan School of Music, she sang in New York City but moved to Stanford University in 1986.
[3][4] She is married to pianist James Goldsworthy whom she met at Stanford where she was on the music faculty from 1986 until 1993.
[3] Amongst the noted composers who have written works for Bettina's voice are Charles Wuorinen, Milton Babbitt, Richard Danielpour, and Tobias Picker.
Picker, who has described Judith Bettina as "his muse of many years”, wrote his first song for her, a setting of a poem by Goethe.