Jérémy Nattagh: The Art of Poetic Handpan

Have you recently heard a handpan composition by French artist Jérémy Nattagh? Want to learn more about this extraordinary musician? Which tracks are his best-known and most popular? What path did he take to become one of the world’s top Hang drum players?

After listening to Jérémy Nattagh’s melodies for more than 10 years, I can share a portrait of this multifaceted artist who still creates little sonic gems that truly stay with you.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• Jérémy Nattagh’s musical journey
• His best songs

By the end, you’ll have a real feel for this composer’s unique world—and how he’s managed to blend the Hang with a wide range of instruments to create ever more imaginative, inspiring melodies.

Now, let’s dive into his music.

What has been the musical journey of Jérémy Nattagh, known for his performances on the handpan?

Born in Paris, France, Jérémy Nattagh is a musician who began with formal music studies. Between 1995 and 1997, he studied at the American School of Modern Music in Paris. Then, between 1998 and 2001, he joined the Bill Evans Piano Academy, a Paris-based music school specializing in improvised music, particularly jazz and Latin styles. Jérémy Nattagh first trained in classical flute at the conservatory before exploring jazz piano, gospel drumming, electric bass, and beatmaking. He also earned a degree in sound engineering, which enabled him to work in parallel as a composer for films, documentaries, exhibitions, and radio jingles—ultimately building more than three decades of wide-ranging musical experience.

In the early 2000s, Jérémy Nattagh first heard about the Hang drum in Batteur Magazine when it emerged in Switzerland, and later came across it again on YouTube. But it didn’t really grab him at the time, and he stayed focused on his career as a professional drummer. Nearly a decade passed before he finally tried one, thanks to an acquaintance of his—the musician Klaïm. Jérémy Nattagh says he hadn’t planned to start any musical adventure with this percussion instrument, but that he “didn’t have a choice.” He felt irresistibly drawn to this flying-saucer-shaped sound object. While composing melodies for shows and various events, he became especially interested in buying a Hang to bring this instrument’s ethereal tones into his creations.

At that time, you had to write a cover letter to PANArt just to get on a waiting list—hoping to receive a Hang years later. Jérémy chose a Spanish handpan maker called Bellart and joined their waiting list directly in 2011. In 2014, his very first handpan was ready. At the same time, he also purchased two other handpans that were immediately available from a Brittany-based maker. By the end of 2014, Jérémy Nattagh already owned three handpans. From that moment on, he played almost every day, composing hundreds of rhythms and melodies.

In 2015, he realized that—even though it wasn’t his initial plan—he had composed enough melodies on the handpan to produce a full album of around fifteen tracks. He then developed the concept known as “Panoramique,” where Jérémy fuses four handpans with a foot-played drum kit and a cabasa to create world grooves, an “acoustic trance,” and a lyrical style that blends serene atmospheres with fast, driving rhythms. He uses live looping without a computer, weaving in world-music and electro-ambient textures. His work also draws on early 20th-century French composers (Debussy, Ravel, Fauré) to shape the structure of his sonatas and harmonies. Since 2015, up to the time of writing, he has continued composing piece after piece, adding to an already impressive discography.

He has since traveled the world with the Infinity Tour 2018 and the Nattagh Tour 2019, performing at concerts and festivals such as Handpan Festival 2016, Brussels Handpan Gathering, and Nivaan Festival in Goa, India. He has collaborated with numerous artists, including Adèle Blanchin (didgeridoo, Jew's harp), Kelu, Cendre Osmoza, Sylvain Barou, Tidiane Touré, Yves Mesnil, Zalem, Lily Jung, Xavier Desandre Navarre, Julien Coste, Tritha Sinha, and Kengo Saito. In 2017, a midlife crisis inspired the sonata Life Equinox, composed after a sudden burnout on June 21. During the pandemic, he also improvised a livestream for the handpan community just minutes after his grandmother passed away, delivering an intimate, cathartic concert.

A long-time drum and production teacher, Jérémy Nattagh also offers exclusive masterclasses on David Charrier's Master The Handpan platform, specializing in composition, dynamics, live looping, and sound sculpting. You can access Jérémy Nattagh's masterclass via this link. Note that Jérémy Nattagh sometimes shares the stage with his son Timothée during select “didgeridoo” tours. As for the instruments he plays, some of his models are from Satya Sound Sculpture, Ayasa, and Yishima.

What are the best melodies produced on the Hang drum by this musician?

Among Jérémy Nattagh's most popular songs are Clear Skies, Skystruck, and The Horizon, a duet with Yves Mesnil. You can purchase most of his albums and tracks—including Pure, Life Equinox, and Hang On To The Beat—on CD or download them from the artist's official website or the Qobuz platform. Listen to the track Clear Skies below:

Get closer to Jérémy Nattagh with a magnificent instrument

Jérémy Nattagh is currently one of the world’s leading handpan players, using his sound-engineering background to craft compositions full of depth and detail. As a multi-instrumentalist, he also understood the Hang’s potential early on, pairing it with other percussion to make his creations even more dynamic. With everything you’ve read in this article, you now have a clearer picture of Jérémy Nattagh’s career.

Of course, reaching that level of mastery takes top-quality instruments—such as those by Bellart, the first handpan Jérémy Nattagh ordered. Since Bellart stopped making instruments several years ago, I personally recommend the handpans sold by Instruments du Monde. You’ll find dozens of high-quality instruments to help you create your own compositions. Take a look at this outstanding nitrided-steel model, naturally resistant to rust and corrosion.

Discover the unique sounds of this nitrided-steel handpan by clicking on the image below:

Play melodies anywhere with a classic nitrided-steel handpan

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View the nitrided-steel handpan

There are many handpan players around the world, even in countries far from Switzerland, where the instrument was invented. This is especially true in Australia, home to the talented Adrian Portia. This musician has carved out a place for himself as one of the best artists performing melodies on the Hang drum, drawing on his background in drumming.