30 Under 30: Robin Eder-Warren
Age: 21
High school: University Hill (Vancouver)
Robin Eder-Warren fell into opera almost by accident. A “monstrous” Grade 5 crush took her to Gateway Theatre—where her crush was heading to a summer musical theatre camp. There she met teacher Heidi Muendel, with whom she continued to study music.
At some point, the Richmond resident realized it was opera she was singing, and she didn’t want to stop. Today, she’s the co-founder of Opera Mariposa, a new company that offers young artists stage experience.
After graduating high school, she studied opera at University of Manitoba and honed her craft in Europe and Canada. Eder-Warren has since shared her soprano voice and passion for opera with local audiences, along with those around the world.
A past recipient of Richmond Music Festival’s Most Promising Performer Award Eder-Warren is also a committed actor, who has experience with stage, film and TV. She’s already passing her knowledge on to others, teaching voice from a private studio in Richmond.
Eder-Warren has her sights set on an opera career in Europe while developing another passion: yoga. She’s a trained hatha yoga instructor with a goal of continuing her studies as a yogi in Mexico.
Inspiration? “My best friend, co-conspirator and Opera Mariposa’s artistic director Jacqueline Ko inspires me every day. She lives with the often debilitating effects of chronic fatigue syndrome… Despite the challenges that life presents her in every moment of every day, Jacqueline is not only dedicated to Opera Mariposa, but is also a fantastic singer and performer. All the while, she has balanced her health and her passion for keeping our opera company alive from behind the scenes, as well as onstage.”
Most proud of? “I am proud of the hard work and dedication it took to not only get this small opera company off the ground, but to keep it going and set up our next season, too. It took a team of incredibly talented dreamers, from front of house helpers to our fabulous cast, to make it happen, and none of it would have happened without all of us coming together.”
Advice for others? “Always believe that your dream is possible. Just because you haven’t seen it happen yet, does not mean it cannot.”
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