Handpan Concert – Spirit Voices 2
Friday, August 29th, 2025 - 7:30pm, Door 7pm
Concerts
Milford Arts Council
Concerts
The Milford Arts Council proudly presents Connecticut’s second-ever Handpan Concert. Spirit Voices 2 returns with an extraordinary lineup from the heart of the handpan community. Featuring artists Sarah Paz Hyde, Ricky Hillson, Jim LoPresti, and Dan Mulqueen take the stage once more—this time joined by the inspiring talents of Prana Rising and Sofia Dias.
More than just a concert, Spirit Voices 2 offers a deep dive into the expressive world of the handpan—an instrument that’s quickly becoming a powerful force in modern songwriting and performance.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of rhythm, resonance, and musical storytelling.
Jim was born in Bridgeport, CT and began creating music at the age of 8 with his accordion. Years of playing multiple instruments his true love landed on percussion. Though he has played in several bands of different genres he now focuses primarily on the handpan. He has released several albums integrating handpan and electronic sounds. Jim is a sound bath practitioner offering sound meditation in various spaces in CT. He also performs regularly, solo and with his psych-rock band Earth Passenger.
Alchemist, handpan musician, vocalist, calmUNITY organizer and visual artist currently based in Maryland. Her creative spirit derives from a multicultural upbringing and holistic, spiritual approach to engaging life, fused with a deep-seeded connection to curiosity. In 2016, Sarah Paz Hyde discovered the handpan, an instrument that brought her full circle to her life’s purpose, “aiding others in more deeply connecting their being to balance within the body + mind + spirit.”
Sofi Dias is a multi-instrumentalist musician and handpan teacher from Miami, Florida. She has formal music education training from Miami Dade College and has been performing and teaching in South Florida since 2019. It was that same year she discovered the Handpan and sound healing. Today, Sofi teaches handpan in the Miami Sound Institute, facilitates large-scale sound healings, and is a part of local community organizations such as the South Beach Sound Healing Orchestra and MiamiBloco. The diverse multicultural environment of South Florida inspires Sofi to play with passion, expression, and freedom.
American multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey, Dan's music is centered around the handpan. Determined to push the limits of music revolving around this instrument, Dan's playing style is both beautifully melodic and intensely percussive. His stylistic approach invites the listener to experience elements of multiple genres of music all housed in one easily digestible format. While keeping the handpan as the centerpiece of his compositions, Dan's recordings also feature instruments such as upright bass, piano, electronic beats, guest vocals and more. In addition to multiple solo tours across Australia, Europe and the USA, Mulqueen has also shared the stage with Shpongle for two sold out concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and collaborated with artists such as Mereba, Long Arm, Zebbler Encanti Experience and many more.
Ricky is a professional multi-instrumentalist, teacher and artisan, performing on guitar, Handpan, Rav and a variety of World Instruments. Elevating these instruments beyond just drums, his creative songwriting style engages listeners mind, body and soul. After teaching handpan and Rav all over the US and online, his core musical belief is that we are all inherently musicians and awakening our individual abilities is often a life changing experience.
New York based handpan artist, percussionist, and founder of Sound Artist Music School in Centerport, NY – Prana believes that all people are born with the gift of expressing themselves through the joy and freedom of music. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music; Prana helped establish and grow the non-profit organization, Handpan NYC and has led more than 25 “introduction to handpan” workshops since 2019 on Long Island and across the 5 boroughs. Onstage, Prana combines orchestral-percussive and electronic soundscapes with handpan to craft original compositions that explore the musical potential of handpan, while inviting listeners on a deep and expansive inner journey. Offstage, Prana remains dedicated to growing Sound Artist’s vibrant handpan community through ensembles, private virtual and in-person mentorship, instrument accessibility, and through their online learning platform.
Art Exhibits Featured Concerts Eastbound Theatre Productions Laugh Tracks Standup Comedy
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If you would like your student aged child to accompany you to a concert or play, please call the office for a $5 student ticket.
And remember, our outdoor events and exhibit receptions are free for all.
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