Mark D'Ambrosio

Colorado percussionist, composer and educator known for solo handpan music, structured teaching, community leadership and the Hal Leonard Handpan Method.

Mark D’Ambrosio is an American percussionist, composer and educator based in Colorado. With formal percussion training and experience as a performer and teacher in the United States, Europe and China, he brings structured musicianship to an instrument often approached informally. His solo work tends toward organic, atmospheric composition supported by clear rhythmic architecture. He is also the author of the Hal Leonard Handpan Method, a published resource designed to make foundational technique and musical development more accessible. Beyond individual teaching, he has played a significant community role as founder and president of the Steel Mountain Handpan Gathering. His profile therefore combines performance, pedagogy, authorship and event-building. PanScapes should present him as a specialist educator without implying that one published method represents the only valid learning path.