Tenor German Gholami calls Estonia home after 17 years
Thursday 27th August 2026 on 08:45 in
Estonia
Tenor German Gholami told ERR’s Vikerraadio that Estonia is his home after nearly 17 years in the country, describing Estonian as a soft and sincere language suited to singing.
Gholami, who previously performed at the Vanemuine Theatre, now mainly tours Europe with the vocal group Impulso Tenors. He is currently back in Estonia to give concerts.
“Estonia is home to me because I have lived here for nearly 17 years,” Gholami said. “Estonia is small, but its heart is very big.” He said he felt accepted by people as he learned the language and valued the strong energy he received from Estonian audiences.
Gholami said learning Estonian had been very difficult and required a strong mind. As he began to understand the language, he came to see it as “very beautiful, soft and sincere,” adding that it was “a little like a singing language.” He encouraged foreigners to be more confident when communicating with local people.
He said learning Estonian had opened doors to closer communication with Estonians and helped him become more accepted. At the Vanemuine Theatre, his language skills allowed him to perform in the Estonian-language opera “Rehepapp,” in which he played an Estonian rural man who had to swear on stage.
“It was thanks to the fact that I learned Estonian,” Gholami said.
Although he has toured more extensively in Europe in recent years, Gholami said he always makes time for concerts in Estonia because it remains his home.
The concerts also feature 15-year-old singer Lilian Sauvola, whom Gholami described as a talented performer with a beautiful timbre. He said Sauvola could serve as an example to young people by showing that those who love something should not be afraid to pursue their dreams.
Gholami said the performances were not only concerts but shows in which the singers also act. The other members of Impulso Tenors are tenor László Maleczky, who works in Sweden and Vienna, and Slovenian tenor Val Mihelčič.
“Opera is in my heart, and I practise often,” Gholami said. He added that he currently performs more shows and concerts in which he sings rock and pop hits with an operatic voice.