- is currently the largest full-time professional male choir in the world. Founded in 1944 by the legendary composer and leader of the Estonian choral movement, Gustav Ernesaks, the choir has since been conducted by several highly esteemed Estonian choral conductors, including Olev Oja, Kuno Areng, Ants Üleoja, Ants Soots and 2005-2008  Kaspars Putninsh from Latvia.
In a cooperative project with Conductor Paavo Järvi, The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), the Estonian girls’ Choir “Ellerhein”, and The Estonian National Male Choir (RAM), won a Grammy Award in 2004 in the category of “Best Choral Performance” for their recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas (Virgin Classics, 2003). A year later their recording of Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt” (recorded by the same line-up) was voted the orchestral album of the year in BBC Music Magazine.
Over its’ 60 years of existence, RAM has performed more than 6000 concerts all across Estonia, the former Soviet Union, many Western European countries, Israel, Canada and the United States. In the early years, the Choir devoted it’s working repertoire almost exclusively to a cappella choral music, much of which was composed by it’s founder Gustav Ernesaks.  Since that time RAM, has divulged itself into the Classical mainstream and is now most famous for its interpretations of large-scale orchestral works, frequently performed with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. At any given time, RAM has approximately 30 large-scale orchestral works available in its’ repertoire, and most of the current tours abroad are large-scale cultural projects that provide a forum for these performances.
During the last decade, the choir has paid homage to the musical trends and performance styles of several different periods and regions, working with such guest conductors as Lev Sivuhhin, Robert Sund, Josep Prats, Roman Toi, Chifuru Matsubara (Japan), Kaspars Putninsh, Anatoly Grindenko, Lone Larsen (Sweden), Timothy Brown (UK), Vytautas Mishkinis, Toomas Siitan and Jaan-Eik Tulve. Performing oratorios, RAM has worked under the direction, and become a favourite, of world-famous Estonian Maestros, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Kristjan Järvi, Eri Klas, and several others across the globe including the renown Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Riccardo Muti, Paavo Berglund, Leif Segerstam, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Saulius Sondeckis, Leo Krämer, Christoph Spering, Gintaras Rinkevičius, Arvo Volmer, Andres Mustonen, Paul Mägi, Jüri Alperten, Vello Pähn, Tõnu Kaljuste, Nikolai Aleksejev and many others.

Among notable tours in recent years should be mentioned the church-music festival in Hajnowka, Poland (May 2002), as well as the performance of oratorio Des Jona Sendung by Estonian composer Rudolf Tobias with Neeme Järvi in St. Petersburg (May 2003) and Brahms’ Rinaldo in Lahti and Tampere, Finland (October 2003). In September of 2004 RAM opened the concert season of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Neeme Järvi, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Paavo Järvi, with pieces from Sibelius. In 2005 and 2006 RAM again performed Sibelius’ Kullervo-symphony in Sweden, with The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Stockholm, and Norrland Opera SO in Umeå respectively.  In 2005 the choir participated in the Festival of Estonian culture in Scotland, performing a cappella concerts based on the music of Veljo Tormis, in Edinburgh and Glasgow.  In the autumn of 2006 RAM undertook two very successful trips to Germany, performing in Bochum and Frankfurt, with The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.

 Over the last 5 years Estonian National Male Choir has recorded 18 CD-s for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, Virgin, Finlandia, CCn'C, Forte, Alba and other record labels.  The choir is currently in the process of releasing 5 CDs of Veljo Tormis’ complete male choir repertoire, which will be a ground-breaking and exciting view into the world of Estonia choral music.