Grammy-nominated innovators Manu Delago (handpan) and Max ZT (hammered dulcimer) come together in a bold new duo that reimagines the sonic possibilities of their instruments. Drawing from a lifetime of global collaboration, deep improvisation, and refined compositional craft, the two virtuosos create immersive, meditative soundscapes that unfold with both delicacy and drive.

Max ZT explains: “Hearing Manu for the first time blew me away. There was the obvious virtuosity, but the way that he was composing and thinking about his instrument in an unusual and unique way really stuck out to me and made me feel like this was a connection that needed to be developed further.”

Manu remembers: “Originally we started with improvisation, but over the years we developed various compositions. Last year we finally found the perfect time and space to record the music, in an amazing 18th-century space in an even older monastery in the Alps.” The album is scheduled for release in early 2026.

Manu Delago has played drums and handpans with artists such as Björk, Anoushka Shankar, The Cinematic Orchestra and performed as soloist with the Metropole Orkest and London Symphony Orchestra. Max ZT, “The Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer,” (NPR) has redefined the instrument through a lifetime of global study and innovation.

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