Ensemble Giorgi

Petter Simonsen, Svend Waage and Iver Waage met in the male ensemble Gli Scapoli in Oslo, Norway. They established Trio Giorgi and started singing Georgian folk songs together in 1996. Trio Giorgi was put on hold when Svend moved to Georgia in 2001.

The summer 2005 the trio transformed into Ensemble Giorgi. Iver, Petter and Svend met for a one week rehearsal-session in Georgia at the Black Sea, and were joined by their friend and teacher Beka Sebiskveradze. The ensemble originated as a result of their strong and close friendship thriving through the common interest for the Georgian folk song tradition.

"Ensemble Giorgi" is singing  three part folk songs from Georgia. Over the centuries the Georgian folk songs have been orally handed down from one generation to the next. Traditional themes such as love, friendship, national identity, heroic deeds and myths form the subject matter of these ancient songs. The wide range of subjects are reflected in styles which encompass the entire emotional specter from intimate and lyrical to passionate, stormy and dramatic.