Honoured with the Grammy Award (2004), the Estonian National Male Choir has made its way to one of the most unique musical collectives in the world. Constituting of 46 professional singers under the artistic direction of Mikk Üleoja, the ENMC’s Compass reaches from renaissance music to arrangements and premieres of commissioned works of living composers. In 2025, the choir premieres 3 new male choir arrangements by Arvo Pärt among others. The Estonian National Male Choir has recorded for several reknowned labels such as Toccata Classics, Ondine etc. In addition to a capella concerts and other musical collaborations, the ENMC is regularily invited by European leading orchestras and conductors to perform large-scale oratorial works.

Mikk Üleoja graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music in 1997 as a choir conductor (class of Prof. Ants Üleoja) and completed his Master’s Degree in music at the same place in 2004 (supervised by Prof. Toomas Siitan). He has sang in the World Youth Choir (1989–1992), Estonian National Male Choir (1994–1996), Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (1996–2000), and in the Gregorian ensemble Vox Clamantis (1998–2011). Mikk Üleoja has been the conductor of the St. Michael’s Boys’ 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 Üleoja is the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Estonian National Male Choir.

Seven records have also been released with the conductor Mikk Üleoja, of which five were recorded together with the Estonian National Male Choir, these being ‘In paradisum’ featuring the music of Galina Grigorjeva (2014), ‘Galina Grigorjeva muusikat meeskoorile’ (2023), ‘Te lucis ante terminum’ with the works of Henrik Ødegaard (2016) ‘REGIRAM’ (2019) and ‘altic Contrasts.’ Luule, see ei tule tuulest (Poetry, It Doesn’t 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’s In paradisum was voted Classic Album of the Year at the 2015 Estonian Music Awards (EMA). Mikk Üleoja was named the Conductor of the Year in 2014. In 2015, he and the Estonian National Male Choir received a national culture award for outstanding works reaching the public.

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