Mark D’Ambrosio: A Colorado Handpan Musician Worth Discovering

Have you recently listened to one of the performances by Mark D’Ambrosio, a particularly talented American handpan player? Would you like to know a little more about this percussionist? What does the discography of this young musician from Colorado look like?

I discovered Mark D’Ambrosio in 2020 with the release of his album Bird of Paradise, and I was deeply moved by the depth of his melodies—so naturally, I wanted to learn more about him. In this article, I’ve gathered the key details for your enjoyment.

In this article, you will learn:

• How Mark D’Ambrosio made the handpan his own
• The various musical projects he has pursued throughout his career

You’ll discover everything you need to know about Mark D’Ambrosio, helping you connect more closely with the style of this one-of-a-kind percussionist.

Let’s start with how this musician first got into the handpan.

How did Mark D’Ambrosio begin his career with the handpan?

Born and raised on Colorado’s Front Range, between the cities of Loveland and Fort Collins, Mark D’Ambrosio developed a love for music early on. As a child, he started playing drums at age 8 or 9, recreating classic rock grooves he’d heard in different settings. That early passion only grew stronger throughout his school years: he played in various school groups and started personal projects, already exploring different styles simply for the joy of it.

Determined to make music his career, he pursued higher education in the field. He traveled west across Colorado to attend Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Percussion in 2018. During his studies, he first heard about the handpan—in 2013, more precisely—when he attended a demo of this relatively new instrument. Immediately captivated by its ethereal sound, he got a handpan and began teaching himself to play. He discovered that this “beautiful and melodious” instrument could be used to compose true musical pieces, opening the door to entirely new creative possibilities.

With his degree in hand, Mark returned to his native region of northern Colorado. In 2019, he chose to live in Longmont, a lively city close to Denver’s arts scene. Starting in 2018, he launched his career as an independent musician, performing live and giving private lessons in percussion and handpan. “Music is my whole life now,” he said at the time, determined to make a living from his passion.

What have been the musical projects of this Handpan player?

Starting in 2015, Mark D’Ambrosio devoted himself fully to creating music with the handpan. He composed his first pieces and developed a personal style, blending his rock and world music influences with the meditative softness of the handpan. Before long, he began recording and releasing his work. His first two EPs (mini-albums) were well received and praised by handpan listeners. One of these EPs is titled The Sky’s Window (released in 2015), created in collaboration with musician Zachary J. Rea. Another project, Paintings on Silence, was initially self-produced in 2014, then re-recorded as a single in 2016 to achieve better sound quality. In March 2018, he also released the single Same Blood, a collaboration with Andy Bowen and Tzetzi Méndez that already highlighted the collaborative side of his musical approach. Watch the performance in the video below:

The culmination of those early creative years, however, was the recording of his first studio album, Bird of Paradise. Mark began working on this album in 2015, patiently letting the compositions evolve over time. A perfectionist, he admits he took his time: “I really wanted this record to be perfect,” he says, explaining the five-year journey to completion. Finally, in 2020, taking advantage of the forced pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he devoted himself fully to finishing the album. Recorded during the summer of 2020 with the help of producer and audio engineer Tad Michael Wheeler in a Colorado studio, Bird of Paradise was officially released on October 26, 2020. This nine-track album offers a musical journey full of contrast: Mark explores a wide palette of emotions and sonic colors, from world-music and acoustic-folk influences to deeply calm, meditative handpan pieces. The handpan community welcomed it enthusiastically, and the musician himself said he was thrilled with the result, calling it “an explosion of genres and musical elements” in which he was able to express his artistic voice.

A few months later, for Christmas 2020, Mark D’Ambrosio released a special version of Bird of Paradise recorded live in an acoustic setting. To do so, he took over an unusual recording venue: a gigantic steel water tank nicknamed “The Tank” in western Colorado, known for its extraordinary acoustics. In this cylindrical space with long, lingering resonance, he re-recorded most of the tracks in a single take, giving the album a whole new sonic dimension. He released this special “acoustic live” edition on December 25, 2020. The experience reflects Mark’s ongoing drive to elevate the handpan’s sound and reveal it from unexpected angles.

In 2018, he co-founded an annual event in his home state called Steel Mountain Handpan Gathering. Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Estes Park, Colorado, this gathering dedicated to the handpan brings together fans of this percussion instrument from around the world for a few days. In addition, in 2020, Mark D’Ambrosio launched an online platform offering lessons for learning the handpan. He named it Planet Handpan and remains actively involved, teaching his students through the platform.

Extend your passion for the handpan by purchasing a quality instrument

In just a few years, Mark D’Ambrosio has established himself as one of the rising stars of the handpan in North America. At an age when many musicians are still finding their direction, he has already released a polished album praised by enthusiasts, co-founded a gathering that draws hundreds of attendees, and built an international online platform dedicated to his passion. There’s no doubt that, thanks to this article, you now have a clearer picture of this artist.

That said, Mark D’Ambrosio has always surrounded himself with quality instruments to build his career. If you’d like to enjoy similarly inspiring acoustic performances, I highly recommend the Instruments du Monde store, which offers dozens of handpans with warm, soothing tones and breathtaking designs. That’s exactly what this 10-note model tuned in D Kurd delivers—an unforgettable sonic journey.

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Now, why not head to France to discover another artist named Maël Chauvet? Based in Brittany, near the Forest of Brocéliande, this multi-instrumentalist is one of the best handpan players in Europe, thanks to his many years of experience in the world of music.