Die grosse chance conchita wurst biography

Conchita Wurst is the stage persona of Austrian singer, recording artist and drag queen Tom Neuwirth. Neuwirth was born in Gmunden in Upper Austria and grew up in Bad Mitterndorf. In he completed an apprenticeship at the Graz Fashion School. 

He took part in the third season of the TV casting show Starmania on Austrian TV in He finished second behind Nadine Beiler. In he founded the boy band Jetzt anders !, which broke up in the same year.

Since Neuwirth has appeared as drag queen Conchita Wurst and since as Conchita, a diva with a full beard. Her fictional biography begins with the birth in the mountains of Colombia and leads through a childhood in Germany to the beginning of the career as a singer in Austria. Neuwirth explains this creation as a reaction and statement against discrimination that he experienced in his youth due to his homosexuality. His appearance as Conchita should also mean that &#;it is easier for young people &#; regardless of the reason why they are different from the others&#;. 

Neuwirth was first known in the role of Conchita Wurst in as a participant in the ORF talent show Die große Chance, in which he finished sixth in the final round. As Conchita Wurst, he also took part in the Austrian preliminary decision for the Eurovision Song Contest (Austria rocks the Song Contest) and in the final with the song &#;That&#;s What I Am&#; came in second place. In the song &#;That’s What I Am&#; could be found on the benefit album &#;Licht ins Dunkel &#; and at a concert for the ORF Christmas campaign Licht ins Dunkel.

In , Conchita Wurst was internally selected to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song &#;Rise like a Phoenix&#;. Conchita won the contest convincingly.

At the end of Conchita Wurst released the single &#;Heroes&#;, followed by &#;You Are Unstoppable&#; at the beginning of March   On May 15, , she released her debut album Conchita, which went platinum just a few days after its release in Aus

Austrian singer and drag queen

Musical artist

Thomas Neuwirth (born 6 November ) is an Austrian singer, actor, fashion designer, human rights activist and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst (or simply Conchita). He came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest as Austria's entrant with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix". Neuwirth has stated that he is not a trans woman. He is gay, and has also described himself as a drag queen.

Born in Gmunden, Neuwirth moved to Graz to do his matura exam with a focus on fashion, before embarking on a singing career through the casting show Starmania. He subsequently became a founding member of Jetzt Anders!, a short-lived boy band. In , Neuwirth began appearing as Conchita—a female character noted for her beard—and came second in the Austrian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest

Two years later, Neuwirth was selected to represent Austria as Conchita at the Eurovision Song Contest Conchita's performance received the most points and resulted in her winning the contest. It brought international attention to Conchita and established Neuwirth as a gay icon, resulting in invitations to perform at various pride parades, the European Parliament, and the United Nations Office in Vienna.

Early life

Thomas Neuwirth was born on 6 November in Gmunden and raised in the small town of Bad Mitterndorf, in the Styrian countryside in Austria. He has stated that the mountainous area was

Austrian talent television show

For the film, see The Big Chance ( film).

Die große Chance ("The Big Chance") is an Austrian talent television show, originally aired between and , then revived in a competitive format from to The program's spin-offs included Die große Comedy Chance ("The Great Comedy Chance") (–) and Die große Chance der Chöre ("The Great Chance of Choirs") (–). In , the show returns under the motto "Let’s sing and dance".

Background

Die große Chance was originally broadcast by the Österreichischer Rundfunk (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) showing on prime time between and Peter Rapp hosted the show from to , Thomas Klock took over in and Elisabeth Engstler in and The programme was discontinued in

present: Revival

Die große Chance was revived as a competitive talent show starting It was broadcast on Austrian television ORF eins.

The first season broadcast between 9 September and 11 November was won by singer Christine Hödl in , with Valerian Kapeller as runner-up and Magic Acrobatics third. It was hosted by Andi Knoll. Notably, the Eurovision Song Contest eventual winner, Conchita Wurst, came sixth in the series.

The second season was broadcast from 7 September to 2 November and was won by dancing duo Alexandra und Esprit (Alexandra Plank and her Border Collie named Esprit), with the music band Solid Tube as runner-up and cabaret act Flo und Wisch third. Andi Knoll and Doris Golpashin hosted the programme for a second season.

The third season aired in The hosts were Andi Knoll and Alice Tumler, and the jury consisted of Karina Sarkissova, Zabine, Petter

Thomas "Tom" Neuwirth (born 6 November ), better known as the drag persona Conchita Wurst, is an Austrian singer. Wurst represented Austria and won the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. The singer uses female pronouns for herself when in the role of Wurst.

Neuwirth states that she was born in Gmunden, Austria, in He also revealed in an interview in that she was frequently scared of being bullied in school for being different, even to the point that he would 'avoid going to the school's toilets during breaks'. Before taking up a drag persona Neuwirth worked as a shop window decorator, but first appeared in public media in an advertisement in

In Neuwirth reached the final of the Austrian casting show Starmania. In Neuwirth returned to television in drag as "Conchita Wurst", a persona created in response to the experiences from his earlier life: "This is about an important message, it's call for tolerance for everything that seems different" Neuwirth commented in an interview. As Conchita Wurst, she participated in the ORF production "The Hardest Jobs of Austria", where she worked in a fish factory, and in "Wild Girls", in which a group of candidates had to survive in the deserts of Namibia together with native tribes.

Neuwirth graduated from the Graz School of Fashion in , and has lived in various locations in Vienna.

Music career:

– Starmania & Jetzt Anders!
In Neuwirth took part in the third edition of the Austrian show Starmania, finishing in second place (Nadine Beiler placed first). One year later Neuwirth founded the boyband Jetzt Anders! that disbanded the same year.

– Die große Chance & Eurovision
In Neuwirth debuted the persona Conchita Wurst, in the ORF's show Die große Chance. She came second in the Austrian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest

– Eurovision Song Contest
Main article: Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest

On 10 Septembe