Sprites: The Young Handpan Prodigy Who Has Captivated the Internet

Have you recently come across a young girl online going by the pseudonym Sprites who plays the handpan with extraordinary skill? Are you wondering who this up-and-coming artist is? How did she take up this truly unique percussion instrument? Has she released any albums or original compositions yet?

I first discovered Sprites in 2025 through her Instagram account. I was so blown away by this virtuoso that I immediately wanted to learn more about her. So I dug into what I could find about Sprites, and I’m going to share it all with you in this short, informative article.

Once you’ve read this article in its entirety, you’ll know:

• Who Sprites is and how this young artist discovered the handpan (also known as the Hang drum)
• What her current compositions and musical achievements are
• This way, you’ll get a clear picture of this handpan player’s journey—she’s definitely an artist to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Now, let’s keep going by first exploring the world Sprites has grown up in—one that helped shape her into a handpan artist.

Who is Sprites, the young handpan virtuoso?

As I write this, Sprites is an 11-year-old German handpan player, having been born on 10 March 2015. According to information shared by her father, her real name is Flavia Büttner, and she lives in the Göttingen region of Lower Saxony, specifically in the village of Niedernjesa. Sprites didn’t choose this stage name at random. In addition to music, she’s also learning the basics of computer programming through Roblox Studio, software that lets users build online games using the Lua programming language. In programming, “sprites” are 2D graphic elements you can manipulate on screen to create effects or move characters. So the name Sprites is a little nod to her other passion: coding.

To understand how Sprites discovered the handpan, it helps to look a bit more closely at her family background. Sprites is the daughter of Christian Büttner, who is better known online under his pseudonym TheFatRat. He’s a well-known musician in the gaming world, composing glitch-hop and EDM tracks that are often used in gaming videos and AMVs. His YouTube channel has several million subscribers and more than 30 billion total views since it launched. Sprites’ mother, Svea Büttner, is also Christian’s manager. And Sprites’ grandmother, Anna Büttner, founded a music school where she teaches piano. Anna passed her love of music on to her son Christian and, in turn, to her granddaughter Sprites, who has been surrounded by music since she was born.

Now that the scene is set, let’s talk about how Sprites connected with the handpan. In 2024, her father bought a handpan after falling in love with this percussion instrument and its one-of-a-kind sound. But between his busy work schedule and other music projects, he barely played it, and the handpan ended up sitting in a corner collecting dust for months. Then came March 2025. Sprites was 9 years old at the time and, while she played piano, she hadn’t shown a particularly strong interest in any one instrument. But one day, out of the blue, she sat down in front of the forgotten handpan and started composing and experimenting with her small hands. Her parents said the result was stunning—almost as if an instant connection had formed between Sprites and the instrument’s metal. From that day on, Sprites has rarely been without her handpan. She plays it almost every day and even takes it on holiday. According to her parents, she’d rather play the handpan than go to the pool with other kids her age. You can listen to one of her compositions in the video below:

When it comes to learning, Sprites mostly takes a self-taught approach. She constantly experiments with sounds, rhythms, and musical patterns, and she has always refused to take lessons with a teacher. That may be helped by the fact that she has perfect pitch. She also watches many other players sharing their work online, and that’s how Malte Marten, one of the world’s best-known handpan players, became her idol. In December 2025, even though Sprites had always refused lessons, she decided to attend a weekend handpan workshop organised by Malte Marten in Germany. Reportedly, she made remarkable progress in her handpan playing over that weekend, and Malte Marten described her as “an extraordinary child.”

What is the discography of this young artist who plays the Hang drum?

While she hasn’t released an album or single yet, an album titled “Beyond” is currently in the works. It will follow an original concept where each track is presented in two versions. The first will be an acoustic version featuring only Sprites’ handpan, and the second will feature the same track with electronic beats added by her father, TheFatRat. It’s even possible that Sprites will sing on a few of the tracks. The album artwork, which has already been revealed on her official website, was drawn by Sprites herself. No release date has been announced yet.

What are Sprites’ other artistic projects?

Alongside the production of her album, Sprites’ name is also gaining serious momentum. In fact, she has been announced as a participant in the Sound-Sculpture Festival 2026, which will take place in Bürdenbach, Germany, from 9 to 12 July. She’ll be performing on stage alongside other major handpan names such as Malte Marten, Kabeção, Dan Mulqueen, and Mar Loi. That isn’t really surprising, since Sprites’ popularity has skyrocketed over the past few months. In less than a year, she’s already reached more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. She has also just launched a YouTube channel, which should naturally grow once she starts posting content.

Give the handpan a try, just like this virtuoso!

Sprites clearly represents a very promising new generation of handpan players, much like the young Australian Sunni Holden. Growing up in a family of musicians spanning at least two generations, there’s no doubt her talent will keep sharpening and revealing itself as the years go by. With the help of this article, you now know much more about Sprites and the events that led her down the path of the handpan.

That said, the deep connection between Sprites and this instrument ultimately came down to a lucky coincidence. Sprites may never have discovered her gift if her father hadn’t bought a first handpan—without intending it for her at all. So, if you’d like to build a connection as strong as Sprites’, I recommend treating yourself to a handpan from the Instruments du Monde online store. You’ll find dozens of models and tunings to choose from, so you can pick the one that truly fits you. If you’re looking for extraordinary acoustics, an F-tuned handpan is an excellent choice.

Click on the image below right now to get a glimpse of this extraordinary instrument:

Choose gentle, harmonious tones with this F-tuned handpan

4.6/5 — 500+ Reviews

View the F-Tuned Handpan

Now that I have much more experience, I invite you to check out the article I wrote about Yuval Babayoff, another musician who also plays the handpan. Performing mainly as a duo with his partner, he has been one of the leading figures in the handpan scene for several years now.