By Atlas Mídia
The BBC Proms poster features prominent classical figures, including Sir Simon Rattle and Sheku Kanneh Mason.
Among them is Felix Klieser, a virtuoso French horn player who was born without arms and plays the instrument using his left foot. Despite this challenge, he has performed globally and is renowned for his exceptional talent.
Felix Klieser considers it a "little miracle" that he became a French horn player, not due to his limb difference, but because his family had no idea what the instrument was when he expressed his desire to learn it at the age of four.
After researching, Felix's family found a music school in Göttingen, Germany, with one horn teacher. Felix enrolled, marking the beginning of a lifetime of problem-solving and pursuing his passion for music.
Felix faced numerous questions about how he would play the French horn without hands to support the instrument and manipulate the valves to change notes.
Initially, Felix didn't face any issues playing the French horn as he could sit on the floor and reach the mouthpiece while someone held the horn. As he grew, he collaborated with a creative person who designed a stand to securely hold the instrument in place.