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Russian teenager with no hands plays the piano brilliantly

If you thought it was impossible, prepare to be proved wrong

Jess Denham
Wednesday 17 February 2016 15:22 GMT
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Alexey Romanov, 15,only started reading music three weeks ago
Alexey Romanov, 15,only started reading music three weeks ago (YouTube)

Everyone who has ever stop pursuing a dream after finding it impossible should watch this Russian teenager born without hands giving a piano masterclass.

Alexey Romanov, 15, learned how to play “River Flows In You” by South Korean pianist Yiruma despite having no fingers with which to tinkle the ivories.

Romanov taught himself by listening to how the chords sounded, before performing a concert with the Kazan Chamber Orchestra La Primavera and stunning the conductor.

Romanov does not let his disability hold him back and regularly uses his hands for creative pursuits such as drawing. He first rose to YouTube fame after posting a video of himself playing the Twilight soundtrack.

“I always liked classical music,” he told Ruptly TV. “At first I played the simplest things such as ‘Jingle Bells’ but now I can learn some more serious works.

“My friends shared music with me and if I liked something I would find the notes and try to understand it myself. If I didn’t understand something then teachers would help me.

“Generally I have been playing piano for only a year and a half. It’s not professional and only three weeks ago I started to study musical notation and everything else.”

If Romanav only started reading music three weeks ago he may be a way off writing his own symphonies, but judging by this display we won’t be putting it past him.

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