Austria: Nine acts confirmed for national final
12 January 2016 at 08:00 CETNine out of ten participants of the Austrian national final have been confirmed this morning. They are:
- Bella Wagner
- Elly
- Farina Miss & Céline Roscheck
- Lia Weller
- LiZZA
- Orry Jackson
- Sankil Jones
- Vincent Bueno
- ZOË
The scouting team, led by Eberhard Forcher and Stefan Zechner, was looking for local newcomers in particular.
The show will be broadcast live on February 12th at 20:15 CET. The presenters will be Andi Knoll, Austria's well-known Eurovision commentator, and Alice Tumler, one of the hosts of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. The decision who will fly the Austrian flag in Stockholm will be taken jointly by an expert jury and televoting.
10th candidate chosen by Facebook users
One last candidate is still missing in the above list. Who will it be? The Facebook users - including you - will take this decision on January 14th. Be sure to visit the official ORF Facebook site on that day, and vote for your favourite!
The following acts are still in the running, selected based on both user feedback and editorial criteria:
- Laura Kamhuber
- Ola Egbowon
- AzRaH
- Sara Koell
- David Siedl feat. Madelene & Mc Vio
Meet the candidates!
You can check out the profiles of the nine candidates that have already been selected in the slide show below.
Bella Wagner
Singer-songwriter Bella Wagner was born in Vienna and speaks five languages. With her versatile yet distinctively significant voice, she impresses her audiences in many a genre, from jazz to pop, which is her personal focus.
"I will speak/sing for everyone who stands up against war and for peace, also in later generations."
Elly
Elly is 17 years old. She came to Austria when she was just eight months old, together with her family who was fleeing from Armenia. She proved her great talent by coming first in the talent show Prima La Musica.
"With my song and performance I want to represent my country with dignity. I would like to touch the hearts of many people and convince them to vote for me."
Orry Jackson
Orry Jackson was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1989, where he also grew up before moving to Graz, Austria. International pop music and Neue Deutsche Welle have coined his personal style of German-soul.
"Michael Jackson was my first and biggest musical influence. What stayed in my life is passion for international pop music. I like artists who convince as a whole - voice, looks, style, and pop attitude."
Céline Roschek and Farina Miss
Céline Roschek and Farina Miss are teaming up for their performance. Céline's style goes all the way from classic music to pop. The musician plays both the classical and electrical violin. She is famous for her modern interpretation of classical pieces her cross-over projects.
"The Eurovision Song Contest is the biggest music event in Europe. It's a great chance for me to present myself there."
The former jazz student Farina Miss gets her inspiration from artists like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and D'Angelo.
"I am hoping for a huge music party, with artists from all kinds of countries, countless influences and languages - simply a colourful and inspiring clash of cultures."
Lia Weller
After studying jazz at the Vienna Conservatory and taking part in several musicals, the singer, who was born in Brazil, became famous in Austria due to her participation in the Starmania talent show. Her style is a mix of soul and house music, wrapped in pop.
"I have a lot of memories about the Eurovision Song Contest but the greatest one was when Conchita won."
Vincent Bueno
Vincent Bueno, 30 years old, is based in Vienna but his roots hail from the Philippines. His experiences comprise several musicals and projects both in Austria and the Philippines. 2015 he released his first German-language single called Geständnis.
"My message for the Eurovision Song Contest is: All You Need Is That Love! I am just grateful and at the same time very excited."
LiZZA
LiZZA, alias Lisa Klammer, hails from Carinthia and is currently 19 years old. In 2014 she signed her first record contract and released her debut single Every Minute Of A Day. Her musical role models are Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift.
"First of all - it's the taking part that counts! The greatest thing would be to win, of course. My first memory about Eurovision is Lordi, who won in 2006."
ZOË
ZOË's career as a singer started early, influenced by her father Christof Straub who plays the guitar in the band Papermoon. In 2013, the 19-year-old artist, whose idol is Edith Piaf, started her career as a singer-songwriter, and in 2015 she already participated in the Austrian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, followed by her first single and album releases.
"If I get the chance to represent Austria, I will give everything. I am hoping for many nice memories and experiences from the national final."
Sankil Jones
Sankil Jones was born in Vienna and he grew up in New York City. He studied violin, vocals and dance at the Manhattan School of Music and at the Vienna Conservatory. He worked as a model, dancer and choreographer before releasing his first electro pop-RnB album.
"The Eurovision Song Contest is a great opportunity to start an international career and represent Austria as a country of great musical diversity."