Sandra Nurmsalu

Sandra Nurmsalu (born 6 December 1988) is an Estonian singer, songwriter, and violinist.

Recognized within Estonia for her genre-bending style, Nurmsalu has garnered success as both the lead singer of Urban Symphony and as a solo artist.

Nurmsalu was born on 6 December 1988 in Alavere, a small village in Harju County.

She began experimenting with music as a student at a music school in Kose, where she learned how to play the violin.

In her youth, Nurmsalu sang with the Kose-based children's folk group Pillipiigad for seven years, and then later the folk group Virre for three years.

As a teenager, she was a member of the Estonian three-piece girl group Pink Tank.

They later performed in the finals on 16 May, where they placed sixth with 129 points; this was the best result for Estonia since their third place finish at the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, and continues to be their best result since then as of.

After Eurovision, "Rändajad" became a successful single internationally; it reached the top ten in Estonia, Finland, and Greece, the top twenty in Sweden, and also charted in Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Nurmsalu rose to prominence in Estonia during her participation in the 2007 edition of the Eesti Televisioon (ETV) talent competition Kaks takti ette.

While competing on the show, she formed the band Urban Symphony, of which she became the lead singer from 2007 to 2010.

Nurmsalu began her professional solo career in 2007, competing in the Eesti Televisioon (ETV) singing competition Kaks takti ette.

During a special week of the competition where contestants were told their performances must be as part of an ensemble, Nurmsalu formed the group Urban Symphony with other stringed instrument musicians from her music school.

The group's performance of "Hungry" by Kosheen blended classical crossover with electronic music; this sound became associated with Urban Symphony and Nurmsalu for the rest of their careers.

Nurmsalu ultimately placed fourth in Kaks takti ette.

Following the competition, Nurmsalu was signed by Estonian songwriter and record producer Sven Lõhmus to his record label Moonwalk Records.

After signing to Moonwalk shortly after Kaks takti ette, Nurmsalu and Lõhmus decided that she would continue performing with Urban Symphony instead of pursuing a solo career.

Nurmsalu attended Georg Ots Music School in Tallinn, graduating in 2008.

In December 2008, Urban Symphony was revealed to be taking part in the debut edition of Eesti Laul, the newly created program to select the Estonian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest.

With Urban Symphony, Nurmsalu won Eesti Laul 2009 and represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow with the song "Rändajad", placing sixth.

Their entry in the competition, "Rändajad", also served as their debut single as a group and was released on 5 January 2009; the song was written and produced by Lõhmus.

Urban Symphony competed in the final of Eesti Laul 2009 on 7 March 2009, where they were ranked first by the professional jury and second by the Estonian public.

As one of the top two total vote-getters, they advanced to the superfinal with Traffic.

In the superfinal, Urban Symphony and "Rändajad" received over 82% of the votes cast, winning the competition and holding the record for the biggest win margin in Eesti Laul history.

As the winners of Eesti Laul, Urban Symphony received the right to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, with "Rändajad".

They competed in the second semi-final on 14 May 2009, placing third and qualifying to the final; this was the first time Estonia had qualified to the finals since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, and remains their best placement in the semi-finals of all-time.

In 2010, Urban Symphony announced that they would be disbanding.

The announcement was due to Nurmsalu wishing to prioritize motherhood, while the group's other members wished to continue their studies and pursue other interests.

Later that year, Nurmsalu was invited to perform as a special guest during season three of Eesti otsib superstaari, the Estonian version of Idols, performing "Rändajad" with eventual winner Ott Lepland during celebrity duets week; Lepland would later go on to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, placing sixth in the final as well.

Urban Symphony released two other singles in their career, "Päikese poole" and "Skorpion"; both of which peaked in the top ten in Estonia.

After a two-year hiatus in order to prioritize raising her child, Nurmsalu returned to music in 2012.

She performed guest vocals on the single "Sel teel" by Estonian musician Sinine; the song went on to become a top ten hit in Estonia, and also received airplay in France and Germany.

Nurmsalu later began performing traditional Estonian folk songs at various musical events and festivals throughout Estonia.

In October 2012, Nurmsalu went on tour alongside several other Estonian musicians to celebrate 100 years of Estonian film and music, performing concerts at venues in Tallinn, Pärnu, and Tartu.

Later that year, Nurmsalu announced the Rändajad concert tour.

The tour played at several small venues in Harju County, where Nurmsalu was raised, including her hometown of Alavere.

In December 2012, to coincide with her return to the music industry, Nurmsalu formed her own record label Muusikalind to promote her music.

In 2013, Nurmsalu performed at the Estonian musical concert Öölaulupidu Järjepidevus where she debuted her first original single since returning to music, "Väike Eestimaa".

On 26 September 2013, "Väike Eestimaa" was officially released by Moonwalk Studios and included an announcement that Nurmsalu was working on a new album with her former producer Lõhmus.

In December 2013, Nurmsalu was announced as one of the semi-finalists in Eesti Laul 2014 with the song "Kui tuuled pöörduvad", written by Lõhmus.

After Eurovision, Nurmsalu competed in Eesti Laul twice more as a soloist: in 2014 and 2019, placing as a finalist both times.