Connor Shafran: the handpan between classical percussion and electronic music

Have you recently heard one of Connor Shafran’s electronic compositions on the handpan? Would you like to know how he came to create melodies with this percussion instrument? What’s the discography and story behind this artist based in Germany?

I first encountered Connor Shafran at his live show “ovalöwl” in April 2022 and was immediately drawn to his performances, which stand out sharply from what other handpan players usually do. As a result, I looked into his work, and I’m going to share a big part of his journey with you.

In this article, you will learn:

• The unique way Connor Shafran integrates the hang drum into his compositions
• His various artistic projects
• His discography

You’ll discover what has made Connor Shafran one of today’s standout names when it comes to blending electronic music and the handpan.

Now, let’s dive into this musician’s biography.

What is the biography of handpan player Connor Shafran?

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, USA, Connor Shafran is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in the handpan. In 2018, he left home to settle in Germany in order to pursue his artistic career. He then took up residence in Cologne, where he quickly became part of the local music scene. At the same time, he continued his studies, earning a master’s degree in electroacoustic composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin in 2023. He specialized in compositions based on “live looping,” which involves recording and playing back music in real time using dedicated hardware devices known as loopers. A little later, in 2024, he joined Germany’s public radio network Deutschlandfunk as an audio engineer.

Blending handpan with synthesizers, drum machines, and more traditional percussion instruments, Connor Shafran has crafted countless live-looping tracks. To that end, he considers the software he uses to produce his music—such as Ableton Live, Max/MSP, and ClyphX Pro—to be an integral part of his “band,” since these tools are essential to his musical process. While many artists rely on pedals to record and layer loops live, he has developed an almost “magical” setup where everything triggers automatically.

To the casual observer, he simply plays the handpan while patterns repeat and stack up on their own, “as if someone offstage were pressing the buttons for him.” In reality, Connor pre-programs an entire looping script that the computer executes during the performance. For example, he might play a rhythmic phrase for a set period without it being heard right away; the computer discreetly records the pattern, then plays it back later, transposing it up an octave or adding sound effects. This carefully choreographed automation allows him to perform without foot pedals or floor controllers, unlike other handpan players such as Gabriele Pollina.

His hands and feet stay completely free to play additional instruments, trigger percussion, or interact with stage elements, greatly enriching the visual and sonic experience of his concerts. As he explains, not having to “start or stop loops with his foot frees up his hands and feet to create more music, and pre-programming effects allows him to add more detail and depth to his performances.” The result feels like a technological magic trick—even once you know how it works—because it’s so striking to see and hear a single musician build something this rich in real time. He also syncs lighting effects with the sounds he creates. You can see an excellent example of his work in the video below:

What are the musical projects of this hang drum artist?

Connor Shafran’s innovative performances have attracted the attention of various companies and well-known artists. In fact, just a few months after his arrival in Europe, singer-producer Rachel K. Collier, vocal performer Beardyman, multi-instrumentalist Binkbeats, and the Kumea Sound project praised the remarkable work of this talented percussionist. Thanks to this newfound recognition, he has performed across several European countries, including Germany, Spain, Austria, the UK, and the Netherlands. Connor Shafran has also taken part in several handpan festivals, such as the 2021 Handpan Day Festival, where he presented his piece “Hold.”

It’s also worth mentioning that in 2019, he co-founded the Future Rust Records label with Finnish musician Lauri Wuolio, which was the world’s first record label dedicated exclusively to handpan compositions. The label’s first release, Future Rust: Volume 1, arrived in 2019 as a compilation album featuring leading figures from the global handpan scene such as Manu Delago, David Kuckhermann, and Kabeção. This release coincided with the launch of the very first International Handpan Day, an annual event designed to bring together players and enthusiasts worldwide.

Create thousands of melodies with this handpan’s beautifully balanced acoustics

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See the melody-ready handpan

Between 2021 and 2022, Connor Shafran self-produced several tracks to add to his already growing discography. He released a series of original pieces with enigmatic titles, often as singles or EPs. Examples include Retune (single, 2023), For the Time Being (EP, 2022), and the pieces For A/For G (double single, 2022), For M (2021), and For Z (2021). You can find these releases on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. In 2024, the percussionist ventured into a whole new musical territory: techno. Still based in Cologne, Germany, he began building his own MIDI controllers and performance machines to create improvised electronic music sets. He also joined Krakelee e.G, a local collective aiming to open Cologne’s first cooperative techno club.

Aware of all that music has given him, Connor Shafran is keen to pass on his knowledge to new generations of musicians. He has therefore become a trainer at the MasterTheHandpan online academy, where he offers an in-depth masterclass entitled “Handpan Sound, Recording and Production.” This online course includes 66 video lessons and is aimed at handpan players who want to go beyond simply playing melodies and dive into sound as a whole. It’s a great course that I recommend to all handpan enthusiasts. You can get it by simply clicking here. “I created this course for handpan players who not only want to play, but also want to understand more about the nature of sound itself,” he explains in the introduction. The program covers a wide range of technical and artistic topics: handpan recording techniques (microphone selection and placement, using multiple takes), the basics of audio editing and mixing, principles of acoustics and metal-specific harmonics, and much more.

Delve even deeper into the world of handpans with your own instrument

Combining technical rigour with open-mindedness, Connor Shafran is a complete artist who has built bridges between disciplines. Whether on stage or in the studio, he brings the same passion for sound and drive to innovate to each of his projects. Thanks to this article, you now know a lot more about Connor Shafran’s musical career.

To take the experience further and play melodies as harmonious as this percussionist, why not get yourself a handpan? To do so, I recommend the online store Instruments du Monde, which sells dozens of these unique sonic instruments. For exceptional tone, the 55 cm (22 in) diameter model is a perfect choice.

Now listen to an excerpt from this wonderful handpan by clicking on the image below:

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See the 22 in handpan

Take a few more minutes to discover another talented artist, Baran Yildiz, a musician of Turkish origin who also specializes in the hang drum. Among all handpan players, he has the unique characteristic of composing his pieces on the piano before transposing them for this flying saucer-shaped instrument.