Who is Conchita Wurst?
I am a singer and artist from Austria and won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. Since then, I have travelled the world, recorded three studio albums, go on multiple tours with my band, and basically live a life that is creative, happy and full of fun things.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
That’s hard to say, because I believe everything I am allowed to do at the moment is fantastic. Probably I would try to spend even more time with my friends or take more of them with me when traveling, if here is one thing I could change.
Who inspires you and why?
My grandmother always inspired me because she always has an opinion and is never afraid to stand up for it.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
If I could, I would take away the concepts of prejudice and jealousy, I think that would already change a lot.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Mykonos in Greece, because I’ve spent fantastic holidays with my best friends there, and whenever I even think about this island, I have an inner smile.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
In Vienna, I would take them to the Museum of History of Arts because it is stunningly beautiful, and then of course we’d follow up with a nice dinner and drinks in one of the many restaurants.
What are you currently reading?
I am not a very fond reader, but recently I read some of Friedrich Schiller’s letters, and once you get into the turns of phrases, there are quite some interesting concepts to find in his work.
What are you currently listening to?
Thanks to my friend Martin who studies classical music, I recently discovered Vivaldi’s recomposed Four Seasons by Max Richter – I just cannot stop listening to them.
Happiness is?
Being happy with what you have today and looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.
What does the future hold for you?
Oh I hope many, many different things – besides making music, I would like to do theatre, have a fashion line, work on a movie, create a musical, paint over-sized paintings and so many more things!
Conchita stars with Trevor Ashley and Kate Miller-Heidke for an evening of musical magic in the Concert Hall – QPAC, Brisbane on Wednesday 26 February; State Theatre, Sydney on Thursday 27 February and Hamer Hall – Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday 28 February 2020.
Image: Conchita Wurst – photo by Markus Morianz