About Us
MattOpan handpans are created in the foothills of Byron Bay, Australia, by Matt Ostila (Matto).
Matto has been a musician and percussionist for 30 years, with a particular passion for exotic and rare instruments. Matto revels in the exploration of sound and number theory and how they relate to musical expression, and the musical experience. The evolution of a dynamic relationship with handpans was inevitable for Matto.
Matto is committed to creating handpans that are in an accessible price bracket, without compromising quality. As a musician, his focus will always be on the quality of the sound: “When we play an instrument with exceptional sound quality, the experience brings us immense joy. The more joy we feel when playing music, the more we want to play. And the more we play, the better we become at creating a great sound, which in turn creates more joy, and great music” (Matto).
Matto first came upon the handpan in 2005 in Amsterdam; an amazing PanArt Hang. He was instantly excited and fascinated by the instrument’s allure. In his own words: “I could see endless possibilities of rhythmic creativity”. Matto set his musical focus to immersing himself in handpan practice, discovering and unravelling the instrument’s possibilities on a borrowed PanArt Hang, while he waited for a chance to purchase his own. He soon realised how inaccessible quality handpans were.
In the hope of creating his own exceptional handpan, and making quality handpans more easily accessible to others, Matto decided to apprentice with Matt Ledgar of Sonic Pi Handpans, to whom Matto is deeply thankful. MattOpan handpans are Matto’s personalised line of Sonic Pi handpans. Matto and Matt continue to work together both as handpan makers and musicians.
Check Matt Ledger's site here : https://www.handpan.com.au