Adam Maalouf: a handpan virtuoso between East and West

Have you recently heard one of Adam Maalouf’s songs performed on the handpan? Were you captivated by the mix of musical genres he brings together in his compositions? Want to learn more about this internationally acclaimed artist?

About four years ago, I stumbled upon a video of the East River ensemble led by Adam Maalouf. I was captivated by the artistic performance, and I’ve been following his work as a percussionist ever since. That makes it easy for me to walk you through his career in detail.

In this article, you’ll find:

• Adam Maalouf’s musical beginnings on the handpan
• The various musical collaborations he’s taken part in
• This artist’s discography

By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know about Adam Maalouf—and you’ll feel even closer to this percussionist whose talent crosses borders and continents.

Now, let’s take a closer look at this musician’s career.

How did Adam Maalouf train in music and the handpan?

Born in the United States to parents of Lebanese descent, Adam Maalouf grew up immersed in two cultures, which would profoundly shape his musical path. Passionate about percussion from a young age, he earned a bachelor’s degree in percussion from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, then a master’s degree in music business management (Music Business) from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. With that dual artistic and professional training, he moved to New York in 2013 to launch his career as a freelance percussionist.

Eager to learn and discover new sounds, Adam Maalouf then set out to deepen his skills at the source of the traditions that inspire him. He travelled to India and the Middle East to study with renowned percussion masters, such as tabla virtuoso Anindo Chatterjee and frame drum specialist Glen Velez, among others. This formative journey allowed him to integrate traditional techniques and rhythms into his playing, which he would later fuse with contemporary elements. In 2012, while still a student, he co-founded the Asheville Percussion Festival in North Carolina with his mentor River Guerguerian, an annual event bringing together the best percussionists from around the world.

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Adam Maalouf is best known for his skill on the pantam, another name for the handpan. His playing style is the result of a deliberate musical blend: he combines the harmony and virtuosity of classical and jazz with the modes and rhythms of Arabic and Indian music, all enriched with a touch of modern electronica. His approach reflects a constant search for originality: Maalouf uses traditional instruments in a contemporary way to explore new territories for the handpan.

On stage, Adam Maalouf deploys a rich sound palette. His handpan/pantam is at the heart of his performances, sometimes as a percussion instrument, sometimes as a soaring melodic voice. He may add other instruments (cello, guitar, world percussion, etc.) and electronic loops to create veritable soundscapes. This innovative approach gives rise to a dreamlike musical universe, where a single piece can evoke an Indian raga, a Middle Eastern maqam, and electro-jazz atmospheres all at once. His piece “Komorebi,” for example, blends Eastern-inspired melodies with contemporary textures, perfectly reflecting this cultural duality in his music. You can listen to it in the video below:

What musical collaborations has this artist, who has devoted his life to the handpan, been involved in?

In just a few years, Adam Maalouf has performed on prestigious stages around the world. From New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to the MoMA, the Austin City Limits festival, and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, he has won over a wide variety of audiences. He has also been invited to major specialised festivals, such as the Asheville Percussion Festival in the United States, the Griasdi Handpan Festival in Austria, a festival dedicated solely to the handpan, and the Elements festival.

Maalouf has performed alongside eclectic ensembles such as the Indo-jazz collective Brooklyn Raga Massive, the Ensemble Signal orchestra (contemporary repertoire), the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the National Arab Orchestra of Detroit. These collaborations reflect his ability to adapt to very different musical worlds. He has shared the stage with renowned artists from contemporary classical music (composer Steve Reich), socially engaged hip-hop/folk (Somali singer K’naan), electro-pop (Norwegian DJ Kygo), and world music (Jordanian singer Farah Siraj, Lebanese violinist Layale Chaker, etc.). This impressive list highlights the international scope of his musical network.

Alongside these collaborations, Adam Maalouf pursues his own artistic projects. He performs regularly as a solo artist, captivating audiences with his compositions for handpan alone or accompanied by live-looping setups. He also leads an ensemble called “East River,” a veritable laboratory of world music. With East River, he brings together musicians from various traditions (Indian violin with Arun Ramamurthy, Arabic violin with Layth Sidiq, Middle Eastern vocals with Mariam Abuamer, global percussion with Shiva Ghoshal, etc.) to create a unique fusion around the handpan. The ensemble’s track “Bint el Shalabiya” is available below:

Always looking for new experiences, he isn’t afraid to take his music off the beaten path: in the summer of 2019, he embarked on a handpan tour in Lebanon, reconnecting with his roots and introducing this instrument to his parents’ homeland.

In addition to his artistic career, Adam Maalouf is deeply committed to passing on his craft. He believes the handpan, still a young instrument, has tremendous potential to reach a wider audience. With this in mind, he co-founded the Pantam Collective, a Brooklyn, New York-based organisation that regularly hosts educational workshops and handpan and world percussion intensives. His expertise is also available online: he offers a comprehensive video masterclass on the MasterTheHandpan platform, allowing students around the world to learn his playing techniques and expand their rhythmic vocabulary from home. Treat yourself to Adam Maalouf’s masterclass by clicking on this link. You’re sure to take your handpan skills to the next level with it.

What is percussionist Adam Maalouf’s discography?

Since 2013, Adam Maalouf has already released a substantial body of work (albums and EPs), reflecting his artistic evolution. Each recording explores a different facet of his musical universe, with numerous international collaborations. Here are the artist’s main releases:

• The Pallavi Project (2013): first recorded project (a collaboration centred on Indian music).
• Far From Home (2014): Adam Maalouf’s first solo album, showcasing his early style—handpan and percussion woven into introspective original compositions.
• Future Tribe (2017): an album with a distinctly world-fusion feel, incorporating vocals and instruments from the Middle East and South Asia. It includes, for example, reinterpretations of traditional Persian and Sufi chants, as well as a piece inspired by Indian music.
• Path of Time (2019): an innovative album blending world music and electro. Maalouf enriches the handpan with the sounds of cello, electric guitar, marimba, synthesisers, and more.
• East River Sessions (2020): an acoustic album recorded live with the East River ensemble. A true cultural crossroads, this record showcases the pantam as a solo instrument in dialogue with Middle Eastern and Indian violin, voice, and percussion.
• Komorebi EP (2022): a three-track EP released in 2022. Adam Maalouf continues his exploration of sound, blending dance-driven rhythms with ethereal atmospheres.

Conclusion

Over the course of his journey, Adam Maalouf has established himself as an iconic figure in the handpan movement. His unique profile as a globe-trotting percussionist, paired with his genre-defying creations, makes him an ambassador for music without borders. Now that you’ve read this article, you have a clear picture of the full scope of his musical career.

That said, this percussionist’s talent can only truly shine with high-quality instruments. If you’d like to put yourself in a similar position, I wholeheartedly recommend the handpans from Instruments du Monde, known for their outstanding tuning accuracy and acoustic precision. Personally, I fell in love with the “Mandala” model for its stunning design and its exceptional steel, called “Ember Steel.”

Get to know this handpan right now by clicking on the image below:

Another rising star in the handpan community is the talented Amy Naylor, a British artist from the new generation who brings a refreshingly modern energy to her compositions. As a result, she’s now one of the leading figures in handpan, and some even consider her one of the best female players of this percussion instrument.