Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eva Zoe Mather. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eva Zoe, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful singing experiences of my life was the opportunity to perform the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game. After performing my first anthem at my local flag football league (Carmel Valley Friday Night Lights, CVFNL), I made a goal to one day sing for our local major league baseball team, the San Diego Padres. In a CBS8 Zevely Zone segment at CVFNL in 2021, I shared that goal with Jeff Zevely, and thanks to his encouragement, that dream became a reality.

After working hard performing the anthem at many other sporting events and festivals, I was thrilled when I was invited to sing for the Padres on August 14, 2024. In preparation, the Padres organization graciously offered me to participate as a Play Ball Kid months earlier, allowing me to become familiar with the stadium and sound system. That generosity helped me feel comfortable in such a large stadium, with more people in it than I had ever sung for before.

The night before the performance, I could barely sleep because I was so excited. Even though I was nervous, the Padres staff were incredibly welcoming and helped me feel confident and supported. When it was time to sing, I could feel the energy of the packed stadium, took a deep breath, and focused on the music. I gave the performance everything I had, and hearing the crowd cheer during the anthem was an amazing feeling.

The experience was both exhilarating and affirming, leaving me with a deep sense of gratitude and confidence that carried into future performances at major venues. I am sincerely thankful to my teachers and parents for their guidance and support, and to the Padres entertainment staff for giving me the opportunity.

Eva Zoe, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember—even before I could speak in full sentences. Like most kids, I started out singing Disney songs and nursery rhymes. When I was six years old, I joined the San Diego Children’s Choir, which helped me grow both musically and as a performer.

During the summer of the pandemic lockdown, I performed small sidewalk concerts in front of my house to cheer up my neighbors. My family brought out an amplifier and played backing tracks while I sang Disney and pop songs. I was seven years old at the time and inspired by videos of Italians singing to their neighbors from their balconies. Many neighbors came out to support me, and some kids were even inspired to start singing themselves. One of those concerts was featured on CBS8’s Zevely Zone, which was my first time being on TV, and I was so excited!

After that, I began receiving opportunities to sing the national anthem at sporting events. I started with the Carmel Valley Friday Night Lights Flag Football League, which I still sing for today, and later performed for the San Diego Padres, LA Kings, Miramar Air Show, San Diego FC, Gulls, Legion, Seals, Wave, Rugby FC, SDSU Aztecs Men’s Basketball, and the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.

In addition to singing, I became interested in acting. I performed in The Grinch at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park, and later appeared in productions at San Diego Musical Theatre and North Coast Repertory Theatre. At the same time, I continued performing concerts, including shows at the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, December Nights at Balboa Park, and a fundraising concert for the homeless at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. One of my favorite parts of performing has always been connecting with audiences, especially when people come up to talk to me after shows.

As I grew older, I became passionate about sharing my cultural heritage. I’m Chinese American, and I began learning and performing Chinese folk songs. I’ve performed at Chinese New Year festivals in Temecula, Los Angeles, and San Diego, the API Festival, and many events at the House of Pacific Relations in Balboa Park. I’ve also co-hosted multiple Chinese New Year events, including one alongside Megan Healy and Ariana Cohen from FOX5.

For my vocal performances, cultural work, and charity involvement, I’ve received letters of commendation from California Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson, California State Senator Brian W. Jones, GySgt Justin Grunes of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band, Natasha Wong of the House of China, California Assemblywoman Laurie Davies, and the Mayor and Councilmembers of the City of Monterey Park, as well as a Presidential Service Award. I was also honored to sing the national anthem at the 2024 State of Balboa Park Address by Mayor Todd Gloria.

When I was eleven, I discovered a deep love for classical music, especially opera. I began vocal training and learned to sing in nine languages. Soon after, I started competing and winning vocal competitions. In 2024, I won the Golden Classical International Music Competition, which led to my debut performance at Carnegie Hall. Since then, I’ve won over 28 regional, national, and international competitions, including the American Protégé International Vocal Competition, Amadeus International Music Competition, Medici International Music Competition, and UK International Music Competition, and I’ve returned to perform at Carnegie Hall a second time.

Now, at age 13, I am a coloratura soprano with a powerful, yet refined sound. I love the timeless beauty and elegance of classical music and feel incredibly grateful to share that passion with audiences. I hope to attend The Juilliard School in New York City and pursue a career as a professional opera singer someday.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think the most important thing that society can do to support artists is to give young people more opportunities to share their craft with the public. Social media has made this easier, but I think live shows (concerts, art displays in galleries and museums, etc) are more powerful and a more transformative experience for young artists. Especially for performing artists, the experience of performing in front of a live audience is something that can’t be replaced. I think this is where I found my passion for singing, because the audience feedback was so powerful and uplifting.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being a singer is the joy in perfecting a song and enjoying it for its intrinsic beauty. I enjoy learning the story behind the songs I perform, and building acting into the performance. The second most rewarding aspect of being as singer is the joy of entertaining an audience, and sharing my passion for music with them. I love it when young children come up to me after performances and ask me how I learned to sing. I tell them to believe in themselves and that with practice, they will be great.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evazoemather/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qian.zhang.77/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@qqmm11