Hornist Felix Klieser Without Arms Presents a 'Beautiful Time'

Hornist Felix Klieser November Korea Tour Concert

Hornist Felix Klieser. Photo by InArts Production

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "Rather than being remembered as a person who overcame a disability, I want to be remembered as a musician who makes the audience happy and creates beautiful moments."

German-born horn player Felix Klieser will visit Korean audiences in November. He will perform twice: on the 5th at Ulsan Hyundai Arts Center Grand Theater and on the 9th at the Seoul Arts Center.

Felix, who is an active resident musician of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the UK, was born without both arms. Except for vocal music that uses the voice, having both arms is an essential requirement for musicians. Horn players press valves with their left hand to control pitch, while their right hand is placed inside the bell of the instrument to change the tone color and finely adjust the volume. Felix operates the horn’s valves with his left foot, and all the tasks usually done by the right hand are instead performed by his lips.

This recital program consists of works by composers from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, which are favorites among horn players. He will meet audiences on November 5th at Ulsan Hyundai Arts Center Grand Theater and on the 9th at the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. Pianist Jo Jaehyuk, known as the "interpreter of classical music" for his flexible pianism, will join the performance.

Felix was captivated by the sound of the horn he happened to hear and begged his parents to start learning the horn at the age of five. In G?ttingen, a small city in central Germany, there were not many teachers who could teach the horn, and five years old was too young to handle the horn, which requires long and precise breathing, but his parents could not break Felix’s will. He became a preparatory student at the Hanover University of Music in 2004 and officially enrolled three years later. He joined the German National Youth Orchestra in 2008 and was active until 2011. He recalls this period as being full of unforgettable memories, including touring concerts with the famous British pop star Sting and performances with Sir Simon Rattle.

In 2014, at the Echo Klassik Awards ceremony, he performed Saint-Sa?ns’ "Romance" with the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Yannick N?zet-S?guin, which introduced his name to classical music fans worldwide. He first visited Korea in 2015 to participate in the opening music festival of Kumho Art Hall Yonsei, and after participating in the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in 2018-2019, he will present his third performance in Korea through this recital.

The horn, a brass instrument with a warm and mellow tone, has more solo repertoire compared to other brass instruments and also many chamber music works. The skill level of horn players is often used as a benchmark for the wind section of prestigious orchestras. This is due to the characteristics of orchestral composition techniques where the horn is responsible for mood changes and storytelling during dramatic moments. Additionally, the way the instrument is played is challenging.

The horn is an instrument that easily produces wrong notes if the breath control and the perfect timing of the lips do not coincide. Unlike other horn players who receive free assistance from their right hand and upper body, Felix plays the horn with his toes, which might seem difficult. Felix introduces himself by saying, "How do you hold such a thin pencil with your long fingers? Actually, I have never played with my hands like others, so I don’t know which is more difficult."

Felix won the "Young Artist of the Year" award at Germany’s most prestigious Echo Klassik Awards in 2014 with his first album released in 2013, "Dream, Romantic Music for Horn and Piano." That year, he published a book about his story titled "Footnote: The Horn Player Without Arms Who Conquered the World" and also received the German Conductors’ Association Music Award. In 2016, he was recognized for his talent by winning the "Leonard Bernstein Award" at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, a historic festival in L?beck, Germany.

As an ambassador for OHMI (One-Handed Musical Instrument Trust), he supports the production of newly designed or modified instruments for musicians who, like him, cannot use both arms. Since 2018, he has been teaching horn at the M?nster University of Music in Germany.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.