'Voice of Germany' winner aims for the stars

Last July, Claudia Emmanuela Santoso moved from her native Indonesia to Germany to study music. A short time later, she signed up for The Voice of Germany and has now won the popular singing competition this month.

'Singing is my life'

The power of the 19-year-old's voice had both the audience and the jury convinced right from the start. Her winning song Goodbye, which she performed together with mentor Alice Merton and who had written the song especially for her, is about saying goodbye. It's a theme that couldn't fit better with Santoso's story. The performance of the two women was highly emotional. It's no coincidence that the singer is successful at age 19. She began attending music school in Indonesia when she was only four years old and performed and took part in competitions, she told DW in Munich. "I want to become a professional musician," she said. Singing is her life and what she wants to do every day. Her role models include Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. 

A big tour on the horizon 

Currently, Santoso is preparing to embark on a tour through Germany called "The Voice of Germany — Live in Concert," along with other finalists. The first concert will take place on December 6 in Braunschweig and the last concert on December 30 in Bielefeld. They will perform the songs from the show, as well as new tunes both individually and in duets. With this experience, Claudia Emmanuela Santoso is likely to come much closer to her dream of having a career in music.