The Residentie Orkest is honoring Mozart and has brought a top German soloist to The Hague for the occasion. Inviting a guest musician or conductor from abroad is not uncommon, but there is something special about Felix Klieser: he plays the horn not with his hand, but with his bare left foot.

The Hague

The 35-year-old German is an internationally acclaimed musician. He has released several albums, won prestigious music awards, and performed at venues such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Konzerthaus, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In one respect, Klieser stands out from his peers: he was born without arms. That has never stopped him from taking the stage. “I don’t come from a musical family, and I’d never been to a concert, but as a young child I was enchanted by the French horn,” he says. “I thought the instrument looked amazing and the sound was fantastic. My parents looked at me strangely when I told them I wanted to learn to play the French horn. My parents took me to music school and said, ‘This little guy wants to play the French horn.’ That was the beginning of it all.”

Mozart

At first, he thought he was taking music lessons just for fun. That is, until his music teacher gave him a CD of Mozart’s four horn concertos as a gift when he was 9 years old. “I heard the horn, the beautiful melodies, and the orchestra,” he says. “From that moment on, I set my sights on performing as a soloist with an orchestra.”

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Felix Klieser learned to play the French horn with the toes of his left foot. To do so, he developed his own technique: his instrument rests on a stand. In 2014, he wrote his autobiography, and last year, *Steil dir vor, es geht nicht, und einer tut es doch* was published—a book about problem-solving thinking.

“Throughout my life, I’ve heard millions of times about things that aren’t possible or are difficult,” he says. “Writing with a pen—I’d never be able to do that. Until I discovered that I could. Or that I couldn’t use a spoon, but just a few days later I’d already figured out how to do it. From those experiences, my child’s mind learned: they tell me this, but it isn’t true.”

For Felix Klieser, mindset matters more than talent. “I’m used to starting from scratch, but I’ve always had a dream, a desire, and faith in myself. I hope to set an example for others with this. Stay focused on what you love to do, stay calm—it might take time and be exhausting, but there’s almost always a solution.”

Felix Klieser is in high demand not only as a top musician but also as a speaker. In his talks, he challenges his audience not to think in terms of limitations, but to focus on what is possible. “I feel privileged.”

“I make a living doing what I love most. I love to travel, I love being on stage, and I enjoy making people happy with my music.” When he became a professional musician at age 20, he was told—for a different reason—that a long career would be difficult. The French horn has a limited repertoire in classical music and is considered one of the most difficult instruments to play.

Felix Klieser: “I don’t know what my life will look like in twenty years, but it’s quite possible that I’ll be doing something completely different by then. I don’t have a bucket list, but life is too short to focus on just one thing.”

Nico Heemelaar / AD Haagsche Courant