Half of classical chart-topping duo
2Cellos, Croatian cellist
Stjepan Hauser is known for his crafty reworkings of both popular classical repertoire and pop/rock tunes for solo and duo cello. His 2010 solo debut Song to the Moon featured cello versions of pieces ranging from
Saint-Saëns' The Swan to
Ennio Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe" (from The Mission) before he teamed up with
Luka Šulić for
2Cellos' 2011 eponymous debut, a Billboard classical number one. As
2Cellos continued their run at or near the top of the classical and classical crossover charts while touring arenas,
Hauser released his Sony Classical debut, Classic, in 2020. It saw him backed by the
London Symphony Orchestra.
2Cellos returned with
Dedicated in 2021, showcasing cello arrangements of pop and rock tunes by hitmakers spanning
Bon Jovi and
Simon & Garfunkel.
Stjepan Hauser was born into a musical family in the city of Pula, where he began his formal education. He studied abroad in London and the United States, in the latter under the tutelage of celebrated American cellist
Bernard Greenhouse, and began performing as a soloist, as well as with major orchestras, while still in his early twenties. In between releasing collaborative classical albums with violinist Marco Graziani (2009's Strictly Live) and pianist
Yoko Misumi (2010's Portrait: Works for Cello and Piano), he self-released his solo debut, 2010's Song to the Moon. It offered a range of Romantic-era pieces as well as compositions from
Astor Piazzólla and
Ennio Morricone.
Hauser became an Internet sensation in 2011 after uploading a cello version of the
Michael Jackson hit "Smooth Criminal," performed with friend and fellow cellist
Luka Šulić. The pair inked a deal with Sony Masterworks and released their first album,
2Cellos, that June. It featured cello-centric covers of tracks from the likes of
U2 ("Where the Streets Have No Name"),
Kings of Leon ("Use Somebody"), and
Nine Inch Nails ("Hurt"), as well as a new version of the
Michael Jackson track that helped launch their pop careers. It reached number one on the Billboard Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts.
In2ition, released in 2013, mined the same pop/rock territory, with highlights arriving via classical crossover takes on songs from
AC/DC ("Highway to Hell") and
Coldplay ("Clocks"), and the
Šulić and
Hauser original "Orient Express. It peaked at number four classical. The duo's third studio album, 2015's
Celloverse, included spirited takes on
Iron Maiden's "The Trooper,"
AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," and
Mumford & Sons' "I Will Wait" that returned them to the top of the classical and classical crossover charts.
2Cellos next went to the movies with 2017's
Score, which included material from film and television (Game of Thrones, Titanic, Chariots of Fire, Braveheart, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). A collaboration with the
London Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor and arranger
Robin Smith, it became their fourth straight appearance in the Billboard 200 and their third classical number one. They went back to their pop- and rock-influenced style for the following year's varied
Let There Be Cello, putting their unique spin on classic hits by the likes of
Survivor,
Led Zeppelin, and
the White Stripes. Another classical chart-topper, it was accompanied by their first arena tour.
In early 2020, Sony Classical issued Classic, an album of well-known classical pieces recorded by
Hauser with the
London Symphony Orchestra. Before the end of the year, he followed it with
Hauser Plays Morricone, a mini-album dedicated to the film composer. With
2Cellos still going strong, they released
Dedicated in 2021. It peaked at number two on the classical chart. ~ James Christopher Monger & Marcy Donelson