A portrait of Conchita Wurst —
Vienna is different!
Conchita Wurst (also mononymously known as Conchita) is an Austrian pop recording artist and drag queen portrayed by Thomas “Tom” Neuwirth (born November 6 1988). Wurst came to international attention for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as Austria’s entrant with the song “Rise Like a Phoenix”. Openly gay, Neuwirth uses masculine pronouns when referring to himself but feminine pronouns to describe Wurst.
Born in Gmunden, Austria, Neuwirth moved to Graz to do his matura exam with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the 2007 casting show Starmania. He subsequently became a founding member of the short-lived boy band Jetzt Anders!. In 2011, Neuwirth began appearing as Wurst — a female character noted for her beard — and came second in the Austrian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Wurst was selected to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, where she proved victorious. Wurst’s entry and victory courted controversy, being condemned by some of the continent’s social conservatives and right-wingers who saw her performance as a promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights. Conversely, it brought her international attention and established her as a gay icon, resulting in invitations to perform at various pride parades, the European Parliament and the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria’s capital.
Photos from Conchita Wurst:
Eurovision Song Contest 2014 Video
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Austria will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song “Rise Like a Phoenix” performed by Conchita Wurst. The Austrian entry was selected through a national final organised by the Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). The entry was selected on 13 March 2015. The host nation will be represented by The Makemakes who will sing I Am Yours.
Sightseeing in Vienna, Austria
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