Gerli Padar - Bio

Gerli did her first steps in music learning to play the piano at a music school for children, as it every so often happens to children who are into music. The first time she reached a bigger audience was in 1994, when she took part in a singing competition on TV called “Laulukarussell”, which has kicked off the stage life of many Estonian artists. She also made a comeback singing the same song on the same show a whopping 23 years later! Her next appearance was on a singing competition TV show for youth – “Kaks takti ette”, 1997. Interesting cooperations and projects along with studies of jazz in Sweden, Gävle following it.

Her relations with the Eurovision song contest have always been warm – the first time she took part in the national final was in 1999 singing the song “Aeg kord täidab soovid” and afterwards in 2002 she participated with the song “Need a little nothing”. In the year 2007 she was happy to represent Estonia on the Eurovision with the song “Partners in Crime”. In 2018 she was on the stage once again at the Estonian national final, singing duet with Eliis Pärna “Sky”.

Taking the theatre stage was a dream come true for her on 1998 in the show “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” (Rakvere Theatre) taking the role of the Jonnipunn and a few years later as Gerda in “The Snow Queen”. After few years she had the opportunity to play lead roles in world famous musicals like “Cabaret” (Sally Bowles, Vanalinnastuudio, 2003, and again in Vanemuine in 2012), “Chess” (Florence, Vanemuine, 2006), “Sugar” (Sugar, Vanemuine, 2008), but also in an Estonian popular children’s musical “Detective Lotte” (Lotte, Vanemuine, 2008). In addition she has taken part of tribute projects “Thank you for the music. Tribute to ABBA” (Vanemuine, 2011) and “Thriller – Tribute to Michael Jackson” (Vanemuine, 2013).

In 2005 she formed a band called Glive through open call auditions. Having taken part in international singing contests she has always returned with a prize:  a contest in Cesme (Turkey, 2006) – 2. place; Astana (Kazakhstan, 2008) – special award; Crimea Fest (Ukraine, 2011, organized by Alla Pugacheva) – special award.

The first season of the hit show “Dancing with the Stars” was literally a life-changing experience. In addition to dance to the final  she came to an understanding that she should keep dancing with her dance partner Martin Parmas even after the TV-show ended, daily. It seems he also agreed ☺.

Gerli managed to write herself into television history as a TV host in national shows “Õpiõu” (“Learning court”), “Perepidu” (“Family party”) and “Lauluga maale” (“To the countryside with songs”), the latter she did with a co-host Jüri Aarma altogether for 8 fantastic years. Gerli was also the host for the show “Dancing with the Stars”. Also, 2013 Gerli was entertaining the viewers in the TV show “Your Face Sounds Familiar”. Even the radio hasn’t been left untouched by her and Gerli lead her own radio show through the years 2011-2014 in radio Elmar.

In 2011 the band Gerli Padar & The Moon came to be, which is performing to this day. MG Project came to life in 2016, which is directed towards music for dance sport and has given concerts in Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Poland and many other countries by now.  MG Project, where Gerli’s partner is DJ Maksy (Maxim Zadanov), performs at dancing championships like Grand Slam, World Open, world ranking tournaments and title events. The repertory consists of music from Whitney Houston to Justin Bieber and word for word – from tango to jive.