Peter Levitov: journey, style, and sound world of a handpan musician

Have you recently heard one of Peter Levitov’s compositions on his handpan? Are you curious about this artist’s journey? How did he discover this percussion instrument? What’s inside his learning platform, Handpan 360? And what about his albums and other artistic projects?

I discovered Peter Levitov when his album “Life is Good” was released in 2014, and I’ve enjoyed following his projects and creations ever since. Here, I’ll share as much interesting information as possible about this talented artist.

By reading this article, you will learn: 

• How did Peter Levitov discover the handpan?
• What is his discography?
• What projects is this percussionist who plays the Hang drum involved in?

This will help you better understand Peter Levitov’s artistic and creative approach and bring you closer to the philosophy and spirit that comes through when he composes melodies on his handpan.

Now seems like the perfect time to take a closer look at Peter Levitov’s life.

Who is Peter Levitov, the musician passionate about the handpan?

Peter Levitov is a multi-instrumentalist currently based in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. When it comes to his life before discovering the handpan, reliable information is hard to come by, so there isn’t much that can be stated with certainty. What we do know is that, in 2008, Peter Levitov came across a new all-metal percussion instrument that looked a bit like a flying saucer: an early Hang model from PANArt. He described it as a true revelation and then devoted himself fully to playing it. Sources are still somewhat unclear, but it appears he acquired his first handpan in 2011. At the time, the instrument was both rare and expensive, and getting one often meant waiting for years on a waiting list.

Over the next several years, Peter would gather with many other musicians for evenings around a campfire in the swamps of Gainesville. There, he discovered new sounds and made fascinating connections. Those nights left such a mark on him that he decided to produce an album that captured the atmosphere of those timeless moments. So, in February 2012, he headed to The Tone Shoppe studio in Ohio, owned by his friend Eric Cronstien, a sound engineer, along with a few other musician friends. This led to the album Dark Water, released on 17 June 2012. The album features six tracks totalling around 30 minutes, with Peter using instruments such as the didgeridoo, Native American flute, singing bowls, gongs, and, of course, the handpan. It’s a clear sign that even before the handpan, he already had a deep command of many other instruments.

Peter Levitov then went on to participate in numerous handpan festivals and gatherings, including the second edition of Handpangea in the US, as well as the HangOut, which is also held every year in Asheville, North Carolina. It was at Handpangea in 2012 that he met Maxime Le Royer, another French musician. The two became friends, created many YouTube videos together, and released two albums, Life is Good in 2013 and David’s 9 in 2020. You can listen to their song Firefly from the album Life is Good below:

Around the same time, Peter Levitov also became a full-time street musician, playing a wide range of instruments to collect donations and make a living. You can see him during one of his street performances in 2013 in the photo below:

In 2014, Peter Levitov signed a petition calling for “reform in favour of street performers’ rights,” alongside 1,800 other people, to improve working conditions. This suggests he continued busking for several more years. He also took part in a TEDx talk centred on “ideas worth spreading.” You can watch an excerpt in the video below:

In late 2014 and early 2015, he launched his most ambitious project to date: “Handpan 360,” a platform dedicated to learning handpan. Today, most of his public presence revolves around this project, where he offers private lessons to share his knowledge of this percussion instrument with anyone eager to learn. Lessons are available online or in person in Gainesville, Florida.

More recently, Peter Levitov has appeared at many other handpan-related gatherings, such as the Steel Mountain Handpan Gathering in 2022, the PanMarco Festival in 2023, and the Heartland Handpan Hangout in 2025, where he plays alongside Dan Mulqueen, another well-known handpan player. His passion for crafting melodies on the handpan clearly hasn’t faded.

Extend the handpan experience by treating yourself to your own instrument

Ultimately, Peter Levitov comes across not as a mere handpan player but as a bridge between several worlds: performance, sonic exploration, and teaching. After reading this article, you now know much more about Peter Levitov’s journey and musical career.

That said, if you want to immerse yourself in the same atmosphere as this percussionist, you’ll need a quality handpan that truly meets your expectations. For that, I strongly recommend the Instruments du Monde online store, which offers dozens of handpans in a wide range of scales so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. For example, an Annaziska-scale handpan is especially appreciated for its gentle tone and beginner-friendly feel.

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In a completely different style, but just as impressive, check out the compositions of James Hunter Crossley. A relative newcomer to creating melodies on the handpan, this artist was formerly a bodybuilding champion who has appeared on television shows in the United Kingdom. Today, he is among the world’s top handpan players.