Preserving Swedish Musical Heritage Since 1996
Vasa Drängar is Atlanta’s premier Swedish men’s choir. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich tradition of Swedish choral music. With a passion for harmony and cultural heritage, we bring together singers who love Swedish and English choral music, performing at events across the U.S.
🌍 Celebrating Swedish Choral Traditions
🎵 Bringing Music & Culture to the Community
🎤 Performing in Atlanta & Across the U.S.
Mission Statement
Vasa Drängar is a nonprofit Swedish men’s choir in Atlanta dedicated to preserving and sharing Swedish choral music. We promote cultural heritage by performing a cappella music at Scandinavian heritage organizations, cultural societies, corporate events, festivals, and private gatherings. Through music, we bring people together, celebrating Swedish traditions and fostering international cultural exchange to ensure these traditions thrive for future generations.
Our Story – How It All Began
In August 1996, seven men in Atlanta gathered to rehearse songs for the Nordic Lodge #708 Crawfish Party. That first group—Bruce Larson, Sam Linden, Gunnar Carteng, Sten Ekberg, Dale Nordin, Dennis Carlson, and Göran Rygert—had no idea they were forming what would become Vasa Drängar.
Originally called “The Vikings”, they prepared a 30-minute program featuring classic Swedish men’s choir pieces and schnapps songs. Their debut performance was a hit, inspiring them to continue rehearsing and growing as a choir.
By 2015, Vasa Drängar had 15 dedicated members and became a staple at Swedish cultural events in and around Atlanta, performing at:
✔ Scandinavian Festivals
✔ Sweden’s National Day Celebrations
✔ Lucia Festivals & Julotta
✔ Crawfish Parties & Christmas Dinners
Our reputation quickly spread beyond Georgia, leading to invitations from other states. We’ve had the honor of performing at:
📍 Thorsby, Alabama – Swedish Festival
📍 Raleigh, North Carolina – Scandinavian Christmas Fair (15+ times!)
📍 Chicago, IL | Vancouver, WA | New Haven, CT | Charlotte, NC
Today, Vasa Drängar proudly holds the distinction of being the southernmost Swedish choir in the United States. Our repertoire has expanded to include over 250 songs, performed in ten different languages, ensuring that Swedish choral traditions remain alive and thriving in the Southeast.
Our Music – A Diverse & Rich Repertoire
Swedish choral music is a beautiful fusion of history, emotion, and harmony. While our core repertoire features traditional Swedish folk songs, we also perform:
🎼 Classical & Contemporary Swedish Choir Pieces
🎵 Swedish “Visor” (Ballads & Traditional Songs)
🎤 National Anthems & Schnapps Songs
🎶 Popular American & British Tunes
🎄 Christmas Carols & Holiday Selections
Our goal is to connect audiences of all backgrounds through the universal language of music.
✨ Listen to one of our members, Sten Ekberg, performing a popular Swedish song:
Our Members & Community
At the heart of Vasa Drängar is a strong sense of camaraderie. Our choir serves as more than just a musical group—it’s a family where members:
🤝 Build lasting friendships
🎶 Develop their vocal skills
🌍 Connect with Swedish culture
We welcome singers from all backgrounds who share a love for music and harmony. No Swedish language skills are required—we’ll help with pronunciation!
Join Us – Be Part of Something Special
If you love to sing, appreciate Swedish culture, and want to be part of a welcoming musical family, we invite you to join Vasa Drängar.
🎤 No audition required
🎵 Must be able to read music (at least at a basic level)
🌍 Open to singers of all backgrounds
Contact Us
We’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions, want to book us for an event, or simply want to say hello, feel free to reach out. You can email us at vasa.drangar@gmail.com or contact Jay Lutz, 404-467-1130 or Goran Rygert 770-977-8537.
We look forward to sharing our music and our passion with you. Join us on this remarkable musical adventure, and let’s create beautiful harmonies together!
Our Choir
Our choir is guided by dedicated musicians and leaders who ensure Vasa Drängar continues to grow and thrive.
Leadership Team:
- President: Jay Lutz
- Vice President: Sten Ekberg
- Secretary: Erik Kind
- Treasurer: Sven Lovegren
- Officer: –
- Music Director and Conductor: Andrew Hershman
- Assistant Music Director and Librarian: Göran Rygert
Other Members:
- Adrian Popescu
- Nathaniel Sundholm
Members
ch = charter member
* = current member (2021)
Tenor 1
Marshall Anderson (T1, B1) 1997-2001.
Sten Ekberg (T1, B1) ch * 1996-1998, 2004—-
Erik Kind * 2008—-
Bruce Larson ch 1996-1999, 2007.
Jay Lutz * 1999-2006, 2008—-
Maurice McMullen 2003-2005.
Stephen Shirk 2006-2008.
Mike Tripp 2007-2009.
Tenor 2
Gunnar Carteng ch 1996.
Stephen Germany (T2, T1) 2006-2009.
Jim Gulick 2016.
Lars Jonsteg (T2, T1) 2003-2004.
Sam Linden ch 1996-2010.
William Nestor 2015-2016.
Adrian Popescu * 2003-2007, 2009—-
Göran Rygert (T2, B1) ch * 1996—-
Niklas Smedberg, Raleigh, NC 2011-2012, 2014.
Tony Swaim 2015.
Alex Wilson 2017.
Bass 1
Daniel Bastian 2014.
Mattias Esqvivel 2011.
Andrew Hershman * 2019—-
Hans Hörnfeldt 2007-2016.
Peter Vang Jensen * 2019—-
Ted Johnson 2007-2011.
Christofer Johnston 2005.
Kaido Karli 2003-2004.
Oscar Kjellberg 2010-2011.
Ray Kuutti 1998-2003.
Bert Nestorson 2007-2010.
Dale Nordin ch 1996-2023
Roger Pajari 2005-2006.
Paul Spitzer (B1, T2) 2004-2007, 2010.
Bass 2
Fred Axelson 1997-1999, 2003-2004.
John Boli 2003-2009.
Dennis Carlson ch 1996-2010.
Kirill Chernoff 2005, 2015-2016.
Magnus Edlind 2005-2019.
Eric Erickson 1997-1998.
Carl Ericsson 2005-2010.
Ross Malme 2008-2010.
Ivan Melnikov 2015.
Sven Lovegren * 2010—-
Peter Gustav Westin 2010.
Accopanists
Gabe Granitz (piano or accordion) 2009-2013.
Alla Melnik (bayan) 2013-2017.
Rand Lines (piano at Lucia/Redeemer) 2014-2018.
Andrew Fazackerley (piano at the 10 th anniv.) 2006
Kyle Bennet (piano at spex) 2014.
Ingrid Ljungholm (piano) 2018.
Music Directors
Andrew Hershman
Göran Rygert 1996-2018.
Peter Gustav Westin 2019-2021
Other Members & Supporters
While Vasa Drängar is a traditional Swedish men’s choir, we’ve been fortunate to have support from many talented individuals. Women have played key roles in our group as instrumentalists, administrators, and technical support, helping us grow and keep the music alive. Their contributions have been invaluable to our mission of preserving Swedish choral traditions.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our Vasa Drängar choir members.
- Dale Nordin – October 25, 2023 More about Dale >
- Sam Linden – 2010