Switchblade Symphony was a San Francisco, United States–based band which was formed in 1989 by composer Susan Wallace and vocalist Tina Root. They released their first album in 1995 on the Cleopatra Records label. They also had two live guitarists, first Robin Jacobs (who later joined Razor Skyline) and then George Earth (most recently of Small Halo, also with Tina Root), and two live drummers, first Eric Gebow (now with Blue Man Group) and then Scott van Shoick.

Switchblade Symphony's music combined orchestral sounds with heavy synth sequences and ethereal vocals to create a highly original sound resembling The Flower Duet sung over a twisted union of classical music and gothic rock. The band's name refers to this union, the result of cutting up elements of classical music to mix them with harder sounds. Though this sound is uncommon, it might be compared with Rhea's Obsession, Siouxsie, Cindergarden, The Machine in the Garden and Dead Can Dance.