{"id":1005,"date":"2025-09-14T03:20:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T00:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rahvusmeeskoor.ee\/koor\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T18:51:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:51:32","slug":"koor","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rahvusmeeskoor.ee\/en\/koor\/","title":{"rendered":"Choir"},"content":{"rendered":"

Honoured with the Grammy Award (2004), the <\/span>Estonian National Male Choir<\/b> (ENMC) has made its way to one of the most unique musical collectives in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of eight decades, the choir has shaped Estonia\u2019s international reputation as a country with a deep choral heritage and has been a leading advocate for the music of Estonian composers, most notably Veljo Tormis. The choir has given more than 7,000 concerts, ranging from Estonia to North America and Asia, and has performed under renowned conductors such as Paul Hillier, Eric Ericson, Kaspars Putni\u0146\u0161, Teodor Currentzis, and Kent Nagano, among others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently comprising 46 professional singers under the artistic direction of Mikk \u00dcleoja, the ENMC has undergone a striking artistic transformation, reaching its current position as an appealing stage partner to some of the world\u2019s most distinguished orchestras and festivals. In 2015, the Estonian National Male Choir and Mikk \u00dcleoja were honoured with the National Cultural Award in recognition of their outstanding musical contributions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recording constitutes a vital strand of the Choir\u2019s artistic activity: releases on prestigious labels including Toccata Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Ondine, and Aurora have attracted widespread international acclaim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Estonian National Male Choir is also a committed commissioner of new works and an initiator of innovative collaborations. Presenting numerous new programmes each season, the ENMC\u2019s repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the present day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the Estonian National Male Choir balances a profound respect for its history and heritage with a confident, forward-looking outlook. Its mission is to sustain and advance the tradition of male choral singing as a vital and expressive art form, offering audiences musical experiences of exceptional quality and enduring resonance.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Chief conductor<\/h2>

Mikk \u00dcleoja<\/strong> graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music in 1997 as a choir conductor (class of Prof. Ants \u00dcleoja) and completed his Master\u2019s Degree in music at the same place in 2004 (supervised by Prof. Toomas Siitan). He has sang in the World Youth Choir (1989\u20131992), Estonian National Male Choir (1994\u20131996), Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (1996\u20132000), and in the Gregorian ensemble Vox Clamantis (1998\u20132011).<\/p>\n

Mikk \u00dcleoja has been the conductor of the St. Michael\u2019s Boys\u2019 Choir, the chief conductor of the chamber choir Mattone and Kaarli Church Concert Choir, and taught conducting at the Viljandi Culture Academy of the University of Tartu. From 1998 to 2011, he worked as choirmaster of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Since the 2011\/12 season, Mikk \u00dcleoja is the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Estonian National Male Choir.<\/p>\n

Eight records have been released with the conductor Mikk \u00dcleoja, of which five were recorded together with the Estonian National Male Choir, these being \u2018In paradisum\u2019 featuring the music of Galina Grigorjeva (2014), \u2018Galina Grigorjeva muusikat meeskoorile\u2019 (2023), \u2018Te lucis ante terminum\u2019 with the works of Henrik \u00d8degaard (2016) \u2018REGIRAM\u2019 (2019) and \u2018Baltic Contrasts.\u2019 Luule, see ei tule tuulest (Poetry, It Doesn\u2019t Come from the Wind, 2007), recorded with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, received the 2007 annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia; the album was also named the best choral record of the year. Galina Grigorjeva\u2019s In paradisum was voted Classic Album of the Year at the 2015 Estonian Music Awards (EMA).<\/p>\n

2014 Conductor of the Year
\n2015 Mikk \u00dcleoja and Estonian National Male Choir received a national culture award for outstanding works reaching the public
\n2024 Order of the White Star, 4th class<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Mikk \u00dcleoja<\/h5>
Chief conductor and artistic director<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The team<\/h2>
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Saale Fischer<\/h5>
General manager<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Ren\u00e9 Keldo<\/h5>
Assistant producer<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Liisi Laanemets<\/h5>
Librarian<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

1st tenor<\/h2>
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Aivar Kaldre<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Aleksander Arder<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Andrus Kirss<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Karel Tohv<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Kirill Gorjus\u030cin<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Kuldar Schu\u0308ts<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Lennart Ma\u0308ngli<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Mart Kroon<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Oliver Povel<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Priit Lehto<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Valnar Neidre<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

2nd tenor<\/h2>
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Ero Esko<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Grigori Ruts\u030ckin<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Madis Enson<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Margus Vaht<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Margus Vellmann<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Markus Leppoja<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Mikk Dede<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Olev Koit<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Priidu Aardam<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Reio Blond<\/h5>
Administrator<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Rihards Zarins<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Baritone<\/h2>
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Alo Rammo<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Andrus Poolma<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Andrus Siimon<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Hanno Hint<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Igor Nikiforov<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Kaarel Kukk<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Martin Einmann<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Sampo-Elias Asikainen<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Olari Viikholm<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Oleksandr Kadyrov<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Ott Indermitte<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Ott Jalakas<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Bass<\/h2>
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Aare Kruusim\u00e4e<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Andres Alamaa<\/h5>
Stage manager<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Arno J\u00fcrjens<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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John William Mathre<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Juss Tamm<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Mait Ma\u0308nnik<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Nikita Mis\u030cts\u030cenko<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Peeter Hillep<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Ranno Tamm<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Rasmus Erismaa<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Stanislav Seljahhovski<\/h5><\/div><\/div>
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Taavi Kendra<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n

Artistic Board<\/span><\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Mikk \u00dcleoja<\/strong> (Estonian National Male Choir), Lodewijk van der Ree <\/b>(Cappella Amsterdam), Tero-Pekka Henell<\/strong>, Maria Valdmaa<\/strong>, Rasmus Erismaa<\/strong> (ENMC), Kuldar Sch\u00fcts<\/strong> (ENMC), Liisi Laanemets<\/strong>, Saale Fischer<\/strong> (ENMC)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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