Phang Jian Hao, Ondo Handpan Studio founder, describes the handpan as an instrument that is full of unknowns and challenges, which he considers a big part of its charm. Photo: Dev Lee
The Ondo! A Handpan Concert at Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC) at 1Utama Shopping Centre in Selangor this weekend is set to underline how far this remarkable percussion instrument – which looks like a Stone Age relic – has come in a matter of years in Malaysia.
What do you know about the handpan, a relatively new musical instrument that has been making waves all around the world? Created by Swiss artists Felix Rohner and Sabina Scharer about two decades ago, the ethereal-sounding handpan has been described as looking like a flying saucer or a spaceship, with indents scattered across its body.
Played with the hands and fingers, the handpan – which is an idiophone, an instrument that generates sound primarily through its own vibration without the aid of forced air, strings or electricity – produces smooth, yet mesmerising ambient tones with a unique timbre.
Thanks to their superb resonance, handpans are also used in sound therapy and healing.
Hands Percussion members (clockwise, from left) Jack Wan, Goh Kok Wei, Jimmy Ch’ng and Tan Zhe Hao will be giving the concert added musical layers. Photo: Dev Lee
But set aside everything you think you know about the handpan, because Ondo!, a collaboration between Phang Jian Hao, founder of the first handpan studio in the country, and performing arts outfit Hands Percussion, will find new ways to amaze and delight with this mysterious instrument.
A versatile instrument
With the handpan taking centre stage in this show, the musicians will demonstrate its versatility through a range of musical genres (from classical to folk and pop), accompanied by other instruments like the cello, flute, ruan and trumpet.
“In our exploration of the possibilities of the handpan, I wanted to see what kind of different sparks or musical directions will emerge when the sound-healing handpan is integrated into these different music styles. Because the handpan is a new age instrument with a unique sound, I wanted to experiment with the fusion of cross-era sounds,” says Phang.
“So, I chose the cello and trumpet, which represent Western classical instruments, and Chinese traditional instruments like the zhongruan, dizi and xiao. This combination is very experimental, and it has been fun exploring how these different sounds can blend together. We want to share this joy with the audience,” he adds.
A self-taught handpan musician, Phang has been playing the instrument for about four years now.
The first time he saw a handpan was at a drumming festival hosted by Hands Percussion in 2014. It caught his eye because it was so unique in appearance and sound.
“As a percussionist and someone who loves the sound of metal, I was completely taken by the handpan and felt that it was an instrument that perfectly suited my tastes. The handpan is full of unknowns and challenges, which is part of its charm. It allows me to constantly discover new joys as I explore it.
Howz will demonstrate how the ruan and flute can accompany the handpan and other percussion instruments, to produce magical tones. Photo: Dev Lee
“When I first played it, I had a feeling like a boy falling in love with a girl. It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted my life to be filled with this passion. It was in this spirit that I established my own handpan studio so that I could share the joy of playing handpan with everyone,” he says.
Phang founded Ondo Handpan Studio in 2020.
The Ondo! concert will see him take to the stage together with four students from the studio, all on handpans; with Hand Percussion members Jimmy Ch’ng, Jack Wan, Goh Kok Wei and Tan Zhe Hao, who will play the handpan and an assortment of percussive instruments such as the tabla and cymbals, Chong Eugene (cello); Howz (ruan and flute) and Isaac Marvin (trumpet).
In this concert, the handpans used are made of stainless steel and nitrided steel. Different materials change the sound of the handpan and Phang shares that the biggest difference between these two kinds of handpans is its sustain duration.
“The sound of a stainless steel handpan is softer with a longer sustain (resonates for longer), while nitrided steel offers a shorter sustain with a more ‘transparent’ sound,” says Phang.
No doubt, the versatility of the handpan is undeniable. But in this concert, the musicians also want to demonstrate that this extends to composing for the handpan – with three new songs composed by Phang (Ripple, Paradise and Kumpul-Kumpul) in the setlist for the Ondo! concert series.
Follow the music
Bernard Goh, artistic director and founder of Hands Percussion says that while the handpan’s delicate and light soothing sounds usually invokes melancholic sentiments, he believes this instrument can do so much more than be used in a busking performance on the street or as a source of meditative music.
“It has the potential to withstand an artist’s creativity and has limitless possibilities. Ondo! shows that besides soothing sounds, the handpan can present funky and stylish moods. Hands Percussion wants to encourage what Jian Hao is doing with his dedicated ambition to bring this niche instrument, its music and joy, to the public,” says Goh.
Wong Chun Yang (one of the students from Ondo Handpan Studio) and Ondo handpan Studio founder Phang Jian Hao (white) on the handpans that will take centre stage in Ondo! Photo: Dev Lee
He notes that the concert involves performers aged 20 to 40, from amateur musicians to professionals – and not everyone is a full-time handpan musician.
“We want to highlight that the handpan can easily connect music enthusiasts and allow them to play on the same stage. I highly recommend our audiences to be free from any expectation, let go completely and flow with the music. Music lets you connect with your inner self. In this concert, you will stay close to the musicians while you allow yourself to explore the room and your perception of the handpan,” adds Goh.
Phang agrees that it will be a concert full of surprises, saying that it challenges the impression that handpans are relaxing, healing and can aid in sleeping.
Yes, it is all that – but it is also so much more.
“I believe that after this concert, the audience will have a new understanding of the handpan and its role in the world of musical instruments, and discover the immeasurable potential and joy of this new era instrument,” he concludes.
The duration of the Ondo! A Handpan Concert is 80 minutes, no intermission.
Ondo! A Handpan Concert is on at Nero Event Space at Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC) at 1Utama Shopping Centre from April 14-16. More info here.
