Mark Garner
Saraz Handpans (USA)
Dmitry Prynkov
RAV VAST Instruments (RUS)
Kolos Gunyho
MAG Instruments (HUN)
Zhenya Topov
Rhythm and Light Music Shop / Ubud
Let us introduce our main sponsor:
MAG Instruments was founded in 2016, in Győr, Hungary. MAG is run by the talented team of Aron, Patrik, Peter, and Richard. The various members of the MAG team are not only skilled handpan artisans but also talented musicians (Check out Tosoda Projekt here!) and organisers of the Hungarian Handpan and Worldmusic Gathering (HUG).
They started to build handpans because of the love of music, and especially the adoration of handpans. Their goal is to be a significant, and well-known team in the “army” of handpan-builders, who are meant to bring good vibes all over the world helping to heal the people and being one of the five best quality handpan brands in the world!
Their instruments are best known for quality, balance, long sustain, good looks.
Since 2019 the MAG Instruments is the main sponsor of the HUG Festival (Hungarian Handpan and Word Music Gathering), and we are lucky that they are so passionate about handpans that they are supporting our ambition to bring the handpan closer to the audience.
Meet the new era of the Handpan
Experience a highly realistic handpan playing sensation with this brand New digital handpan.
NEOTONE came to life from a dream of two friends who wanted to make a digital handpan. It started as a love project and currently they research and develop in their digital workshop, supported by a creative community of international handpan-makers.
The 47cm diameter, comfortable body angle, and realistic tone field designs provide a smooth and seamless playing experience. Despite being a fresh and new instrument, NeoTone’s natural wooden body and unique handmade finish give it a traditional and authentic feel.
The instrument’s ability to sense pressure allows for a variety of playing styles, such as staccato notes, muted notes, and particularly the rhythmic sounds of the dome. Lowering the pressure sensitivity also opens up opportunities for children to easily play the instrument.
The hit-, pressure-, and area-sensitive tone fields offer a unique and fresh sound quality for an uncompromised concert performance.
With a patent pending position-detecting technology, the instrument is able to produce realistic sounds based on different hot-positions, such as multiple tones of a simple hit, or overtones. The ding and dome area, shoulder tones, and even the clap sounds on the body can all be part of your music making.
Saraz Handpans (USA)
Mark garner
Founder, Imagineer and Wave alignment specialist
Mark Garner founded Saraz Handpans in 2011. In his earliest days of learning the craft of tuned steel, Mark was very blessed to spend time with Ellie Mannette (the founder of the steel drum), Robbie Davis (Ellie’s main tuner), Kyle Cox and Jim Dusin (the founders of Pantheon Steel), Victor Levinson (the creator of the SPB), and Dennis Martin (founder of Rhythmical Steel). Mark was also one of the first builders to begin publicly sharing details about how to build these instruments on Handpan.org. Along with the help of other generously open builders, an exponential wave of new builders followed in the coming years leading to the proliferation of instruments that we see today. We are all steps along the way in a growing evolution of the collective organism that is the tuned steel artform.
Workshop:
In this workshop, Mark will discuss the history of tuned steel starting with the steel pan of Trinidad, the early days of the Hang, and the development of the Handpan into what we know it as today. He will also discuss how handpans are built, how they are tuned, and the magical effects of their harmonic structure on the brain, psychology, and spirit of the player and listener. Questions are encouraged during the discussion and will guide how deeply we go into each topic.
RAV VAST
Instruments (RUS)
Dmitry Prynkov
presentation
RAV Labs is a company that specialises in the production of steel tongue drums called RAV Vast. Our first drum appeared in 2012, and the company has been on the market since 2014. RAV Drum is known for its very ambient and deep sound, which helps create vast (hence the name) sound pallets and arrangements. Every RAV drum has its mood and character, and most of them harmonically sound with each other.
Rav Vast is an intuitive musical instrument with a soothing sound, melodic virtues are emphasised by musicians from all over the world, and ease of mastering makes the instrument accessible to everyone.
Dmitry, being an official partner of Rav Vast, is going to represent this instrument during the festival. You’ll have a chance to play it yourself and, if you like, take home one of them.
MAG Instruments (HUN)
Kolos Gunyho
Handpan Ambassador
workshop & presentation
Kolos started to work with the MAG Instruments in 2019, first in the workshop, building handpans for two years, then he became the ambassador of the MAG in 2022. He spent seven months in Bali, Indonesia to represent the company and its beautiful instruments. He is giving workshops, handpan presentations and building connections to extend the brand worldwide.
He’ll present us the MAG handpans and workshop insights. Also you are welcome to ask any question about handpan, playing, making.
Rhythm and Light Music Shop / Ubud
Zhenya Topov
Rhythm & Light Handpan – Quality Stainless Steel Handpans made with love in Bali. A beautiful shop with handpans and tea in the heart of Ubud. Wonderful ambient, with group and private handpan lessons. The shop is led by Zhenya Topov.
PANLIMA HADNPAN (IND)
Ketut Suda
Panlima Handpan is a handpan maker and seller company, we have been established since 2009, and we have produced more than 1500 handpans and have sent them all over the world. We have a mission of peace to the world through the musical melodies we produce.
Yoga Swara
Independent Handpan Maker
Om Swastiastu!
My name is Yoga Swara. I have a deep bond with the music. I have played music since childhood, mainly percussion and traditional Balinese instruments and have worked as a percussion instruments maker for the last twenty years. I started my drum maker journey with djembe and darbuka and came across with the first handpan in Bali and its soothing melodic sound back in 2007.
It did not take me long to get material and try to make handpan in my home workshop. Just using simple tools and information I could find on the internet and on YouTube I made my first handpan. It was quite an adventure and turned out to be the most difficult and complicated task to achieve. Especially the final stage – the tuning!
I have tried different methods and materials and after two years of hard work, many obstacles and failures I have had my first handpan made.
From there I have started to learn further, as more information about handpan became available on the internet, and I could learn more about tuning theory, fundamental tones, timbre and harmonics.
It took me another couple of years of continuous learning and patience before I had managed to build a better quality handpan and even dared to sell it! Every next handpan that I had made was better than the previous one, and I just kept going. I was one of the first handpan makers in Bali and I continue to work alone in my home workshop and studio.
I am happy that the handpan industry is growing, and now I have access to better materials like stainless steel and to many learning resources. I believe that the quality of handpan depends on the patient factor and a maker’s desire to achieve better quality and sound than before. Until now I keep using only manual techniques and the same tools, but looking back to my first handpan and the one I make today I can tell – it was quite a journey!
I am glad we can meet each other at the Handpan Festival and share the joy of music together.
Suksma!
Yoga Swara
Sirvan
Independent Handpan Maker
I was born in Iran and was among the first people who started playing handpan in Iran 🇮🇷 back in 2016. I was a handpan teacher, had regular workshops and was the first one to make a handpan stand.
About four years ago I decided to make my first instrument, because I was not able to find a handpan that would meet my expectations. It was a very difficult path, but I succeeded. Since then I became a handpan maker and have experience of making it with different materials.
Last two years I have lived and worked in Bali, have my own handpan workshop, play regularly with DJs in clubs and continue teaching people playing handpan.
Hope to see you all one day and jam with you!
