Ensemble Basiani was founded in 2000 under the auspices of the Georgian Patriarchate and, in 2013, was officially designated the State Ensemble of Georgian Folk Singing by the government of Georgia. Taking its name from the medieval Basiani region (in today’s northeast Turkey), the ensemble draws on Georgia’s millennia‑old polyphonic heritage—both sacred church hymns and secular folk songs—preserving esoteric tuning systems, modal harmonies
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Ensemble Basiani was founded in 2000 under the auspices of the Georgian Patriarchate and, in 2013, was officially designated the State Ensemble of Georgian Folk Singing by the government of Georgia. Taking its name from the medieval Basiani region (in today’s northeast Turkey), the ensemble draws on Georgia’s millennia‑old polyphonic heritage—both sacred church hymns and secular folk songs—preserving esoteric tuning systems, modal harmonies and rhythmic drones that predate the country’s conversion to Christianity in the 4th century. Comprising singers from diverse Georgian provinces—many of whom hail from families steeped in traditional song—Basiani has revived hundreds of forgotten melodies through field expeditions and archival research, recorded numerous albums and appeared at major international venues such as the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Gulbekian Great Hall (Lisbon), the Grand Hall of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and Stanford Live’s Bing Concert Hall. Beyond concert tours and festival appearances, the group leads workshops and masterclasses worldwide, ensuring that this living tradition continues to resonate with both Georgian communities and global audiences.
