Kaire Vilgats
Kaire Vilgats (Kaire Lõhmus by marriage since January 2009), born on January 11, 1976[1] is an Estonian singer and actress.
Vilgats was born and grew up in Pärnu, a resort town in South-West of Estonia. At an early age, she learnt the accordion in a music school but as a teenager she went on to solo singing instead.
Career
Kaire Vilgats has been trained pop-jazz singing at the Georg Ots Music School in Tallinn, with Silvi Vrait as her vocal coach.
In 1999, Vilgats was awarded with the third place at the contest for young singers, Kaks takti ette, organized by the Estonian Television. The winner of that season was the Estonian rock star Tanel Padar, with Eda-Ines Etti being a runner-up.
In 1999, she was also a chorister in the Estonian production of the musical La Cage aux Folles which is the theatre début of hers. A series of colourful supporting roles in musicals were to follow ever since in Estonia.
Kaire Vilgats is also the musical director of the Estonian Puppet Theatre in Tallinn, where has composed music for children's musicals and plays, like, "The Little Witch" (and a few more).
In 2006, she was nominated on the annual Estonian theatre prize for the supporting role of Amps in the musical Romeo ja Julia but did not win.
Roles
- 2000: Tanz der Vampire (Magda)
- 2000: Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal)
- 2000: Zorba (Storyteller)
- 2001: Les Misérables (Mme Thenardier)
- 2002: Miss Saigon (Gigi)
- 2003: Fiddler on the Roof (Golde)
- 2004: Crazy for You (Irene Roth)
- 2006: Fame (Esther Sherman)
- 2006: Romeo & Julia (Amps)
- 2007: Phantom (Carlotta)
- 2008: Anything Goes (Reno Sweeney)
- 2008: Buratino senitundmatud seiklused (Malviina)
- 2011: The Warewolf (Grandmother)
- 2011: The Beauty and the Beast (Teapot)
- 2011: Karlsson on the Roof (Hildur Sokk), drama
- 2012: Seljatas sada meest (Maria Loorberg), drama
- 2013: Shrek (Dragon)
As a chorister, Vilgats has appeared in number of more shows in Estonia, such as Evita, La Cage aux Folles, Georg, No, No, Nanette, Mort and Snow Queen.
Other credits
Kaire Vilgats provided her vocals for the album Family. We are Family, released in 2003 as a cooperation of many a popular vocalist of Estonia, such as Nele-Liis Vaiksoo.
As a backing vocalist, Vilgats often supports different pop acts of Estonia, such as Anne Veski, Ivo Linna or Maarja to name a few. She took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000 and 2002 to sing backing vocals for the Estonian and Maltese songs, receiving 4th and 2nd place respectively.
Kaire Vilgats has also performed with the Estonian Police Orchestra and a number of more orchestras and groups in her native Estonia.
Personal life
Kaire Vilgats, married to a music producer Johannes Lõhmus, is a mother of 3 children, 2 sons and a daughter.
Vilgats' mother is Ester Vilgats, a news journalist of the Estonian Public Broadcasting.