Emma Olivia Ekström was born in
Karlstad to Johan Fredrik Ekström and Anna Brita Pettersson. She worked in the choir at
Mindre teatern in Stockholm 1881–1883. Her first role was as a character in the opera
Sjökadetten. She was a student at the conservatory in Stockholm 1884–1885, and then studied for Fritz Arlberg (1830–1896) and
Signe Hebbe (1837–1925) from 1885 to 1886. She then worked at
Södra Teatern in Stockholm 1888–1889. She got her big breakthrough at
Vasateatern in Stockholm during 1890 as Yum Yum in
The Mikado. ==Personal life==