Maarja-Liis Ilus

Early life and first steps

Maarja-Liis Ilus is an Estonian singer who is also known simply as Maarja. She was born in Tallinn on 24 December 1980. Music entered her life very early. She studied at Tallinn 21st School and Tallinn Children’s Music School. Later, she earned a degree from the University of Tartu Institute of Law. In 2007, she also continued her vocal studies at Berklee College of Music in the United States. Long before Eurovision, Estonian viewers already knew her face. She sang as an ETV child performer, took the lead role in the musical film Õnneseen in 1984, and won several children’s song contests. In 1994, she also drew attention with her own song “Paradiis,” which won the audience prize at the Uus Laul competition.

Eurovision opened the big door

Her national breakthrough came in 1996. Together with Ivo Linna, she won Eurolaul with “Kaelakee hääl.” After that, they represented Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo and finished fifth. One year later, Ilus won Eurolaul again, this time as a solo singer with “Keelatud maa.” In Dublin, she finished eighth. Those two years made her one of Estonia’s best-known Eurovision artists, but they were only the start. Around the same period, she launched her album career. Her early discography included the self-titled Maarja-Liis, the English-language First in Line, and the late-1990s albums Kaua veel and Heart. So, while Eurovision gave her fame, her recording career quickly grew beyond the contest itself.

From teen star to international pop singer

After Eurovision, Ilus kept recording in both Estonian and English. She released City Life in 2001 and continued to build a polished pop career. Songs such as “Hold Onto Love,” “First in Line,” and “All the Love You Needed” helped keep her profile strong. Then she tried another route onto the international stage. In 2003, she entered Sweden’s Melodifestivalen with “He Is Always on My Mind.” She did not reach the final, yet the move showed that she wanted to test herself outside Estonia too. A year later, she returned to Estonia’s national final with “Homme,” a song she wrote herself. She finished fourth. Therefore, the early 2000s showed a singer who was no longer only a teenage star. She was becoming a more independent artist and songwriter.

Theatre, collaborations, and new colours

At the same time, Ilus widened her career in another way. She stepped into musical theatre and took on important roles. She appeared in Miss Saigon as Ellen, in The Sound of Music as Maria, in Rent, in Cats as Grizabella, and later in Evita as Eva Perón. These roles proved that her voice could carry drama as well as pop. She also moved into collaborations. In the mid-2000s, she joined Hinkus and recorded the album Look Around. Soon after that, she worked closely with pianist and composer Rein Rannap on Läbi jäätunud klaasi. That partnership brought her strong reviews and, in 2007, a Female Artist of the Year award. 

Later albums and television work

Ilus released Homme in 2008, the Christmas album Jõuluingel in 2009, and Kuldne põld in 2012. These records sounded warmer and more mature than her teenage work. They also showed that she could move between mainstream pop, softer acoustic music, and seasonal material without losing her identity. Besides that, she worked on television. In 2005, she joined the jury of the show Kaks takti ette. In 2015, she returned with the singles “Tulilinnud” and “Nii sind ootan.” Then, in 2022, she hosted the semi-finals of Eesti Laul with actor Priit Loog. That moment underlined her long place in Estonian popular culture. She had become both performer and trusted television personality.

Maarja-Liis Ilus today

Today, Maarja-Liis Ilus remains an active concert artist. In 2024, she sang with Koit Toome at Tallinn’s Restoration of Independence Day concert. Later that year, she and Toome also toured Estonia with Christmas concerts. In 2025, local listings still showed her in acoustic performances, and in early 2026 she appeared in gala shows with Ivo Linna and other well-known Estonian singers.