Daumen drücken heißt es am 15. Mai für Österreichs ESC-Vertreter JJ.
©APA/Max Slovencik
Johannes Pietsch, also known as JJ, will represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel. ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz sees him as “an exceptional talent”.
The opera world speaks highly of Austria’s current Song Contest candidate – and he sings in such tones: The countertenor Johannes Pietsch represents Austria under his stage name JJ at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. On May 15, the 23-year-old, who has been successful on the state opera stage and was also a candidate on “Starmania”, must fight for his final ticket for the final round on May 17.
Pietsch on “Starmania”
So this year Austria is betting on a real Pietsch-Boy as a candidate, who, despite his young age of 23, can already draw on a wealth of stage experience and look beyond the Alps. The Austrian-Filipino counter was born in Vienna, but grew up with his family in Dubai, where he attended the German International School and speaks fluent German, English, Tagalog and French.
When Johannes Pietsch was 15 years old, the family moved back to Vienna. After graduating from school there, the musician started his career. This included participation in the ORF entertainment show “Starmania” in 2021, where he catapulted himself into the final show. At the same time, Pietsch continued to pursue his second career, that of the classical counter, and attended the opera school of the Vienna State Opera.
Waiting for ESC Song
He now regularly succeeds on the stage of the traditional house on the Ring. He was seen here in supporting roles in “Macbeth”, “Billy Budd” or “Tschick”. He performed at the opening gala for the new Nest location and most recently stood as 1st boy in the premiere of the new “Magic Flute” on Monday on the boards that mean the world – to be seen on February 7 on ORF 2.
The student of the Music and Art Private University of the City of Vienna (MUK) is now setting sail towards different waters. The mission is: Final ticket in Basel. The song that is supposed to help achieve this goal will be presented in the first week of March, with, among others, a Song Contest-experienced artist on board as a composer: Teya, as part of the duo Teya & Salena 2023 for Austria in Liverpool with “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” in the competition, co-wrote the yet unpublished song.
“JJ a Exceptional Talent!”
Roses were certainly given on Thursday by ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz: “JJ is an exceptional talent! With him, we are sending a distinctive artist to Basel, who brings his own magic to the Song Contest stage with captivating pop and classical singing.”
On May 15, it will certainly get serious for JJ when he competes in the 2nd semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest with representatives from 15 other nations for a place in the final. A total of 37 countries are participating this year in the Swiss border city of Basel, after Nemo won the competition last year with “The Code” in Malmö for Switzerland.
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.
