The first interview

JJ: Our star at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025

JJ aka Johannes Pietsch: From the Vienna State Opera straight to the biggest pop stage in the world.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

The long wait is over - Austria will be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 by Austrian-Filipino countertenor JJ aka Johannes Pietsch. He is set to combine the two worlds of opera and pop - his song will be released at the beginning of March. The 23-year-old gave his first interview to the "Krone".

The classically casual appearance before the interview tells us: this year Austria wants to build bridges at the Song Contest. Johannes Pietsch mixes leather jacket with tie. Pop on the outside, classic on the inside. This is exactly how you can describe the 23-year-old Viennese's career path so far. He made it through to the final round of "Starmania 2021" and can now be seen constantly at the State Opera and Volksoper - currently as the first of the "three boys" in the celebrated State Opera production of "Die Zauberflöte". As a countertenor, his voice reaches light soprano heights, the nonchalance of pop will be reflected in the show part. His song will not be released until the beginning of March, but could turn out to be bombastic. Curtain up for our new song contest star:

"Krone": Johannes, you'll be representing Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel this May. You work at the Vienna State Opera and were at the start of "Starmania" in 2021 - so you're a firm in both serious and popular music. What can people expect from you?
 JJ/JohannesPietsch: I'm an opera singer from Vienna and grew up with pop music. It will be a good and harmonious mixture of both worlds, which will have a special element.

A musical element or a show element?
Both. (laughs)

When did you find out about your participation and what were your first emotions?
When I got the call at the beginning of December that I could represent Austria at the Song Contest, I was on my way to university. I was standing in the middle of Kärntner Straße and immediately started crying. Everyone was staring at me, it was really uncomfortable. (laughs) I didn't realize it at first, but over the course of the day it dawned on me that I wasn't dreaming. I had a performance in the evening and I told my parents about it beforehand. They started crying too. My dad had to smoke a cigarette straight away because it was too much information for him all at once. (laughs)

Your song will be released at the beginning of March, two months later you'll already be on stage in Basel. How is your preparation going?
Preparations are already in full swing. We're working a lot on the stage production and the music video shoot is already planned. The individual dates have been set and I'm absolutely ready for everything.

How familiar are you with the history of the Song Contest and how have you followed the competition over the years?
Since Conchita's victory in 2014, me and my family have regularly watched the Song Contest on TV. We set up a huge buffet at home, ate well and discussed who did what well during the show. At the end of the evening, we always agreed on the right winners.

Did you really always guess the winners correctly?
I was often close. (laughs) In any case, my tips always ended up in the top 3, but I was usually close.

Is there anyone from song contest history who serves as a role model for you in terms of performance or singing?
In terms of musical performance, definitely Conchita Wurst. In terms of performance, it's hard to say, but we're presenting something completely new. I'm really looking forward to being able to show off this work.

Are you perhaps already in contact with former participants? Do you get tips from established veterans?
I'm in close contact with Conchita and also with Teya, who sang "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" with Salena two years ago. They are supporting me through this journey and I am very happy to have them by my side.

The journey to the Song Contest is changing your whole life. What does your everyday life look like at the moment?
My normal everyday life will continue until mid-February. I still have a lot to do at university until then, as well as engagements at the State Opera and the Volksoper. After that, I won't be as busy, but I'll be busy in other ways. (laughs)

Countertenor JJ in conversation with "Krone" editor Robert Fröwein.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

How has your classical music world reacted to the fact that you will soon be taking part in the world's biggest pop competition?
The whole classical music industry is very excited about it and they are incredibly pleased that I, as an opera singer at the Vienna State Opera, will be able to take to the world's biggest pop stage.

What do you think will be the biggest challenges you will face?
I will be away from home for a long time, which I love. I need the social contact, but lying at home in bed in the evening is what I'm looking forward to the most. That won't be quite so easy over the next few months.

How did the song that will be released to the public at the beginning of March come about?
I went to Berlin in the summer and the three of us sat down in the studio. At half past twelve we were thinking about where the journey should take us. The songwriter then said we were going to have a therapy session and I should just cry it all out. I then told her what was on my mind and 15 minutes later we had the lyrics. We then tried to find the right beats with the producer and a way to harmoniously transfer the classical element into a pop sound. That worked very quickly and after twelve hours we were satisfied. You can look forward to a fusion of several worlds.

And you are well versed in all these different sound worlds?
I'm definitely very present everywhere, let's put it that way. (laughs)

How would you like to present yourself visually at the Song Contest?
I prefer to wear what suits me and what I like. I don't want to disguise myself for the competition, I want to go to the Song Contest as the person I am.

Is there a particular message you want to convey with your participation?
Of course. You should never give up, because at the end of the day the hard work is worth it. Dreams really can come true.

You will be competing for Austria on the second day of the semifinals and fighting for a place in the final on May 17. Is that an advantage?
I think so, because it gives me more time to prepare. I'm really happy that I'm allowed to be there at all. It's a huge privilege.

How do you see the Song Contest in your colorful and broad career?
I think the Song Contest is right at the top. It can only be topped by winning a Grammy, which would of course be nice. Directly after that comes my classical world in the State Opera.

Do you research older performances by former participants in preparation? Are you perhaps copying something for your own performance?
As I've been following the competition really closely since 2014, a lot has stuck with me. I always watch different performances to see how others have fared. How did the artists deal with the pressure? How did they give interviews? How was the interaction with the audience? This is how I'm preparing for Mai in Basel.

Will your family be there live in Switzerland?
Yes, all of them. Mom, dad, grandpa and my siblings. I'm surrounded by love. But when I know that my family is in the audience, I'm also particularly nervous. That always makes a difference. My family might not be my biggest critics, but they give me their honest opinions and sometimes I'm afraid of that. (laughs) But my family loves what I do, so I'm not too worried yet.