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Nathan Trent is running on air for Austria

06 April 2017 at 12:00 CEST
Nathan Trent will represent Austria at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Martin Hauser (ORF)
Nathan Trent is a singer and songwriter who writes, composes and arranges his own music. He will represent Austria in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Running On Air.

Nathan was born in Innsbruck in 1992 and is the son of an Italian mother and an Austrian father, and was raised bilingually. At the age of three, he began taking violin and piano lessons, and played as a child in various productions for the State Theatre in Innsbruck. Nathan participated in a number of talent shows in Germany and Austria before moving to Vienna to study at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, graduating with a distinction in his bachelor degree in 2016.

Nathan began writing his own songs at the age of eleven, and has continued to develop and perfect his own personal style. Today, he writes, composes and arranges his own songs, including Running On Air, his entry for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. "I wrote the song with Bernhard Penzias, so I really have a strong emotional connection to it. It’s about, hope, believing in yourself and reaching your goals, by embracing the good and the bad moments in your life. Although it’s an Austrian production, it was written and partially recorded in Los Angeles", said Nathan.

Performing in the Eurovision Song Contest can be a nerve-wracking experience. Does Nathan have any lucky rituals before going on stage? "I normally try to do yoga thirty minutes before a show to calm myself down", he said. "I have some pretty untypical vocal warm ups and I usually drink two whole bottles of sparkling water before going on stage."

Nathan was delighted when he was chosen to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. "I see it as an event that unites Europe every year, allowing us to celebrate music while exchanging different cultures at the same time", he explained. "I love the Eurovision Song Contest, because it gives people hope and spreads positivity. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it this year!"

Over the past weeks fans have been able to vote on Nathan's official Facebook page where they could choose their favourite Eurovision songs. Nathan recorded acoustic versions of the top four songs which will be published every week.

Nathan will perform second in the running order of the second Semi-Final on Thursday, 11th February.