Ellerhein Girls’ Choir was founded in 1951 by Professor Heino Kaljuste and consists of girls aged 14–19. From 1970, the choir was conducted by Tiia-Ester Loitme, who also served as the chief conductor of the choir studio from 1989 to 2012. Since 2012, the position has been held by Ingrid Kõrvits. The choir’s artistic team includes vocal coach Egle Veltmann, choirmaster and solfège teacher Ülle Sander, and pianist Kadri Traksmann.
The repertoire of the Ellerhein Girls’ Choir includes both classical and contemporary choral music by prominent composers from Estonia and around the world. The choir has collaborated with many renowned conductors, such as Peeter Lilje, Eri Klas, Paavo Järvi, Tõnu Kaljuste, Andres Mustonen, Olari Elts, Mikko Franck, Nikolai Aleksejev, Timothy Fitzpatrick, Mikk Üleoja, and others. They have also worked with professional ensembles, including the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), the Estonian National Male Choir (RAM), the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Hortus Musicus, and Vox Clamantis, as well as directors like Ene-Liis Semper, Tiit Ojasoo, Anne Türnpu, Eva Koldits, and Reeda Toots.
Over the years, festivals and competitions have taken the choir to Japan, Austria, Andorra, Cyprus, Hungary, Canada, Italy, Israel, the United States, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, China, Spain, Portugal, France, and elsewhere. The choir has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at four different competitions. Their most recent victories include the Grand Prix at the 2019 Gdansk International Choral Competition in Poland and the overall win at the 2023 Lisbon Sings International Choral Competition in Portugal.
In 2004, the choir won a Grammy Award for their recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas (Ellerhein Girls’ Choir – conductor Tiia-Ester Loitme, RAM – conductor Ants Soots, ERSO – conductor Paavo Järvi; Virgin Classics). In 2007, the Estonian Choral Association named Ellerhein the “Choir of the Year,” and the Estonian Female Choral Society named them “Female Choir of the Year” in 2021.
The choir has recorded several albums over the years. Recent releases include the CDs “Songs of Light” (Valguse laulud, 2017), featuring works by Estonian composers premiered by the choir, and Heavenly Songs (“Taevalaulud”, 2023), recorded with Vox Clamantis, which was named “Choral Album of the Year” by the Estonian Choral Association in 2023. In 2024, the score and CD of Mart Saare and Julius Oro’s children’s opera “The Lost Princess” (Kadunud printsess) were published. The Ellerhein Girls’ Choir is a collective of the Tallinn Kullo Hobby Centre.