Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst hit another one late on Friday evening. At the Corona charity event AUSTRIA FOR LIFE, he appeared on a stage in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna and presented the German version of "Rise Like A Phoenix" for the first time in a classic robe and wig. He sang the song to victory at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen in 2014.
Tom Neuwirth had previously said about his appearance and the new version: "Special moments deserve special attention. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have put numerous people in Austria in a difficult situation and we want to do everything together with 'Austria for Life' this evening so that as many donations as possible can be collected for our fellow human beings... When I was asked, If I could imagine performing my Eurovision winning song in German, I immediately agreed. I'm looking forward to performing 'Frei wie ein Phoenix' as part of the TV broadcast."
The German version of "Frei wie ein Phoenix" was written by Tom Neuwirth together with Martin Zerza. The two are also the protagonists of the Starmania 21 podcast "EARS CLOSED, EYE OPEN!" In 2006, Wurst and Zerza took part in the third season of the Starmania talent show.
Here is the original performance from ESC 2014 again: Conchita Wurst "Rise Like a Phoenix"
The charity show AUSTRIA FOR LIFE was staged by Gery Keszler. The focus of the event was a spectacular visual and acoustic production on Vienna's Stephansplatz, in which the facade of the cathedral was also impressively played. The hour and a half live show was a modern day mystery play that took viewers on a journey through time. Various classical and modern art forms from music to drama found their place, presented by Austrian artists as well as new talents from young Austria. More than 50 of them were there, including others related to the ESC, such as Cesár Sampson and Arabella Kiesbauer.
