Nala Sound Sculptures
Nala Sound Sculptures — When steel becomes a life companion
In the heart of Romania, Nala Sound Sculptures crafts exceptional handpans with a deep conviction: a handpan must be far more than a musical instrument. It must become a travel companion, a space for expression, presence, and connection. This philosophy lives in each of their creations, made with patience, precision, and a true love of sound.
Nala’s story is first and foremost that of Silviu Purcaru, its founder. His encounter with the handpan begins almost by chance, through a simple video discovered online. Despite the limited quality of the recording, the instrument’s sound triggers an immediate emotion in him. That sound stays with him long after the video ends and sparks a fascination that will never leave him.
Yet Silviu comes from neither metalwork nor instrument making. At the time, he played a bit of guitar and drums, but didn’t yet imagine becoming a craftsman. After searching for a long time for his first handpan, he finally acquires a G3 Pygmy from an Italian maker. That instrument becomes the starting point of a human and musical adventure that will profoundly transform his life.
For several years, Silviu plays in the streets of different European cities. This experience allows him to observe the almost instinctive relationship that forms between the handpan and those who hear it for the first time. Passers-by stop, children come closer to touch the instrument, and some people let themselves be overwhelmed by emotion. Silviu then understands that the handpan doesn’t just produce music: it creates a space for meeting and touches something deeply intimate.
Gradually, his desire evolves. He no longer wants only to play the handpan; he wants to understand how a simple sheet of steel can become an instrument capable of provoking such emotions. He then goes to meet craftsmen, takes part in workshops, and learns through experimentation. As with all demanding skills, the path is marked by trials, errors, imperfect instruments, and countless hours spent hammering, listening, correcting, and starting again.
In 2018, Silviu founded Nala Sound Sculptures in Fundata, a mountain village located in central Romania. The name “Nala” evokes for him the idea of a gift: a gift of sound, presence, and emotion, meant to retain its value for many years. The workshop then moved to Bucharest to be closer to musicians, welcome visitors more easily, and facilitate shipping instruments across Europe and worldwide.
Despite this evolution, the spirit of the early days has remained intact. Nala remains a human-scale workshop, where no essential step is rushed. There is no mass production and no automated line. Each handpan requires several weeks of work and is born from an ongoing dialogue between the steel, the ear, and the craftsman’s hands.
The making follows a meticulous process: metal selection, sheet preparation, shaping the two shells, creating the tone fields, heat treatments, tuning, successive adjustments, decoration, assembly, and final inspection. Each note is tuned by ear to precisely bring out its fundamental, octave, and fifth. This work requires great sensitivity, because a single intervention on the metal can alter the balance of the entire instrument.
Nala works exclusively with Ember Steel, a steel appreciated for its warm, round sound rich in harmonics. It delivers a soft attack, beautiful depth, and a long, singing resonance. Its patina, with golden and bronze hues, naturally evolves over time, giving each instrument a unique look and personality.
Nala handpans stand out for their balance, precision, and great expressiveness. They respond just as well to a delicate, meditative touch as to a more rhythmic, dynamic playing style. From accessible scales like Amara or Kurd to instruments that are lower, extended, or more complex, each creation is designed to offer a smooth and inspiring playing experience. Nala also develops more distinctive projects, such as its Transilvania line, inspired by Romania’s landscapes and mystical identity.
Around Silviu, a close-knit team has formed. Mirel takes part in the making and tuning, Alex combines his craft work with workshop management, while Catalin also contributes to the creation of the instruments. Sabina brings her sensitivity through engravings and customizations, and Flavius supports the development of the brand’s digital world. Together, they form a small family of artisans united by the pursuit of beauty, accuracy, and durability.
Each handpan can be adapted to the sensitivity of its future owner: choice of scale, number and layout of notes, tuning at 432 or 440 Hz, extended configurations, bottom notes, and custom engravings. The musician therefore doesn’t simply choose an object from a catalogue. They enter into an exchange with the workshop to find the instrument that truly matches their world, their level, and their way of playing.
This care continues long after the making. Nala notably offers lifetime support and free re-tuning of its own instruments, excluding shipping costs. This approach reflects a rare intention: not to see the sale as the end of the relationship, but as the beginning of a story between the musician, their instrument, and the artisans who brought it to life.
We’ve been working with Nala Sound Sculptures for quite some time now, and this collaboration has gradually gone beyond the purely professional framework. Over the course of our exchanges and shared projects, Silviu and the artisans around him have become true friends—people I deeply appreciate for their kindness, generosity, simplicity, and passion.
What moves me about them isn’t only the quality of their instruments. It’s also their humanity, their availability, and the care they give to each person. Behind every Nala, there are faces, hands, hours of work, and a team deeply attached to what it creates. This human dimension gives even more value to their handpans.
Nala Sound Sculptures represents, to me, everything the handpan craft can offer at its most beautiful: a balance between technical mastery and intuition, between precision and emotion, between innovation and respect for the time creation requires. Their instruments aren’t simply built to be played. They are shaped to accompany stories, awaken creativity, and create connections.
More than a partner maker, Silviu is now a friend I’m proud to support, represent, and accompany in this wonderful musical adventure.
