Manu Delago & Max ZT
Grammy-nominated innovators Manu Delago (handpan) and Max ZT (hammered dulcimer) come together in a unique 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.
The duo met almost 10 years ago when Manu Delago was touring in the US with Bjork. “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. A duo facing each other where both members had just turned 40. We had to call the album Deuce” remembers Manu Delago.
The Austrian nature lover has played in iconic venues in more than 50 countries around the world. Manu Delago has played drums and handpans with diverse artists such as Björk, Anoushka Shankar, The Cinematic Orchestra and performed as soloist with the Metropole Orkest and London Symphony Orchestra.
Max ZT, hailed by NPR as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer,” has redefined the instrument through a lifetime of global study and innovation. He has absorbed diverse traditions, apprenticing with Senegal’s revered Cissoko Griot family and studying under the legendary Shivkumar Sharma in India. A founding member of House of Waters, Max has scored an Emmy-winning ESPN documentary and released eight albums on Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP Music label.
Their debut album Deuce was released in early 2026. Rooted in rhythm, rich in texture, and open in spirit, the duo invite listeners into a world that feels both ancient and somehow entirely new. With exquisite sensitivity and unparalleled technical mastery, they create spellbinding soundscapes that captivate audiences from the very first note.
