Famous Austrian Singers

Maria von Trapp was the matriarch of the Austrian singing family, Trapp Family Singers. As a young woman, she married widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp. He already had seven children from his first wife, and the couple had three more. The family began singing together at events and became a popular touring act called the Trapp Family Singers. 

The man behind iconic tracks such as Der Kommisar and Rock Me Amadeus, legendary Austrian singer Johann "Hans" Hölzel, better known as Falco, was one of the best-selling singers from his country. Unfortunately, his career was short-lived, as he died in a car accident shortly before his 41st birthday.

Born Thomas Neuwirth, Austrian singer, recording artist, and drag queen faced discrimination as a child because of his sexual orientation.  Around the age of nineteen, he embarked on his singing career, shortly developing the drag persona of a bearded woman called Conchita Wurst, gaining international attention when he won Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with his song Rise Like a Phoenix.

Legendary Austrian-American actor Theodore Bikel is best remembered for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sheriff Max Muller in the film The Defiant Ones. He had also ruled the stage with plays such as Fiddler on the Roof. As a folk singer, he sang in 21 languages and also played the guitar.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was a German-born Austro-British singer. Counted among the most important singers of lieder, Schwarzkopf is best remembered for her performances of the operas of Richard Strauss, Wagner, and Mozart. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest sopranos, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf won many prestigious awards including the Edison Award and the Lilli Lehmann Medal.

Udo Jürgens first gained international acclaim after winning the 1966 Eurovision contest. While the Austrian singer began his career playing at clubs and on radio, he later revolutionized the German pop scene with songs such as Mit 66 Jahren. Buenos Días, Argentina remains one of his best-known songs.

Richard Tauber was an Austrian tenor and film actor. The son of an actress, he often toured with his mother and developed a love for the theater. He also enjoyed singing and studied at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. He went on to become a tenor and an actor and also conducted at the Theater an der Wien. 

Austrian singer-actor Freddy Quinn has sung in 12 languages, such as German, French, and English. He soared to fame with his iconic hit Heimweh, which ruled the German charts for 5 months and sold over 8 million copies. His musicals include Freddy, the Guitar and the Sea.

Austrian entertainer Peter Alexander had initially studied medicine but quit as soon as he realized his passion lay in entertainment. Starting his career with plays and cabaret, he eventually graduated to films and live singing. The 10-time Bambi Award winner also hosted the hit Peter Alexander Show on TV.

Hansi Hinterseer is an Austrian former alpine skier turned singer, actor, and entertainer. As a skier, he won six alpine skiing World Cup races and the silver medal at the world championship in 1974. In the 1980s, he became a technical sports commentator and started a career as a singer and actor in the following decade.  

Born Gertrude Wirschinger, Austrian singer Penny McLean initially sang in a duo with her husband, Holger Münzer. She later scored disco hits such as Fly, Robin, Fly, with her trio Silver Convention, and also launched hit solo tracks such as Lady Bump. She has also penned books on spiritual and numerology.

Austrian-American opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink was one of the major interpreters of the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss from the pre-World War I period. Her best-known role was perhaps that of Erda in Wagner’s Siegfried. She also delivered charitable performances and appeared on radio shows too.

Robert Stadlober is an Austrian actor and musician who is a member of the Indie band Escorial Gruen. He worked as a voiceover artist for several films as a child and took up acting roles as well. He gained international prominence after playing a disabled teen in the film Crazy. He launched his independent record label, Siluh records, in 2007. 

Austrian actor and singer Erika Pluhar had begun her career with the Burgtheater and later gained fame with films such as Fireworks. She was initially married to a businessman who was later convicted of multiple murders. She and her second husband, songwriter André Heller, often collaborated on songs.