Connor Shafran

Raised in Kentucky, Connor Shafran combines handpan, percussion and electronic composition, using programmed live loops to build layered performances.

Connor Shafran grew up in Kentucky, where he studied percussion at the University of Kentucky before moving to Germany. He later completed a master’s degree in electroacoustic composition in Berlin. His music places handpans alongside synthesizers, drum machines, hand percussion and found sounds. For live performances, he programs the recording, repetition and processing of sounds in advance, while producing the audio onstage. This approach leaves his hands free to play and lets detailed arrangements develop from live material. His recordings include For the Time Being and Retune, which also appears on the Future Rust compilation The End of the Beginning. Beyond his own releases, he helped run Future Rust and worked on its handpan compilations. He also composes acousmatic music for the Berlin Loudspeaker Orchestra and develops music software. His work connects instrumental performance with sound design, exploring how a single musician can shape multiple layers of rhythm and texture in real time.