Alexandra Lexer: From the Farm to Schlager Center Stage

By David Hillier
CSMR UK Correspondent

London, England -- It’s back to Austria again to look Alexandra Lexer, a talented artiste who, despite having a rich musical heritage, only cut her first album in her mid 20’s.

Alexandra Lexer

Alexandra Lexer was born in the remote Lesachtal valley in Carinthia, in Southern Austria where the snow can lay three feet deep on the ground for weeks, or even months, in winter. She comes from a family of farmers who, in the way of folk from such places, also have a long history of performing traditional music. Her grandfather was an accomplished violin maker.

A free spirit herself, she may have been something of a reluctant performer in the family act and later suffered the anguish seeing her father die whilst performing in 1994. After that tragic event, it was two years before she could bring herself to perform again, resuming her career as part of Band 3L.

After combining professional singing lessons and attendance at business school for a time, Alexandra decided upon a complete change of direction and obtained a nursing qualification with a view to pursuing a career in healthcare.

But she was far too talented a singer to give up performing completely and her delightful voice, with its rare special tremelo sound, soon attracted wider attention. By 2007 she was invited to perform a televised Christmas duet with journeyman schlager performer, Florian Silbereisen (Helene Fischer's longtime boyfriend).

Other appearances on stage and television, a tour and a recording contract followed. Here she is performing the title track of her first (2008) album, Und ich dachte, es is Liebe (And I thought, it is Love):



The success of that album led in 2010 to a second, entitled Endlich bis du da (Finally, you’re here). We feature two tracks from this CD, the first Ein feuerwork der liebe (Firework of Love)



And her vocal virtuosity really shines on this second cut, Nur Getraumt (Only Dreaming)




Tracks from her two albums can be heard in full on her new website: http://www.alexandra-lexer.at/ which also contains more detailed biographical information and details of her forthcoming live performances.

She is described there as “authentic and with her feet placed firmly on the ground” and says herself that she does not feel like “a star”.

While a promising career away from the farm awaits for beautiful, dark-haired, Alexandra Lexer, it seems unlikely that she will anytime soon be letting go of the strong values imparted by her simple country upbringing.