Biography

Canadian lyric soprano Maren Richardson has been described as “a colorful, dynamic soprano and musician.” A classically trained singer and a lifelong dancer, she moves between the concert platform, the recital stage, and musical theatre with equal ease, bringing a rigorous vocal foundation and a dancer’s command of movement and storytelling to every performance.

Maren Richardson recently appeared as lead soprano vocalist in the Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular on a tour of Vancouver Island, and as Emma Carew in Jekyll & Hyde.

Some of the roles she has played include Laurey in Oklahoma!, Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain, Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Marion Paroo in The Music Man, and Flotsam in The Little Mermaid. She has worked in masterclasses with composer Britta Johnson, Elaine Overholt, and Ron Long.

Maren has danced since the age of four. She trained and competed as a competitive dancer, including at competitions in New York, and that training shapes everything she does on stage, from her musical theatre work to the physical life she brings to the concert repertoire.

She holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto, where she studied with Lorna MacDonald, and she continues her vocal studies with Donna Garner.

On the concert stage, Maren has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, sang in the chorus for Andrea Bocelli’s live concert at Scotiabank Arena, and was a featured soloist in the Canadian premiere of Ola Gjeilo’s Twilight Mass. She has also recorded on a new musical album with Universal Music Studios. She also performs for weddings, private dinners and special events, and has sung aboard the Santa Maria ship at West Edmonton Mall.

Originally from Sherwood Park, Alberta, Maren began classical voice and musical theatre at age six. Her honours include two Winspear Fund Scholarships for Advanced Classical Music, first- and second-place standings at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Vocal Showcase, and the Sherwood Park Music Festival’s President’s Scholarship and Best Overall Senior Classical Vocal Performance award. She is based in Toronto.