Cellist Stjepan Hauser is best known as half of the international classical crossover sensation 2Cellos, alongside Luka Sulic. He has performed in over 40 countries and has played in some of the most important venues on the planet, from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw to Buckingham Palace. As a solo classical cellist, Hauser has competed in (often winning) many illustrious competitions, including the Adam International Cello Festival and Competition. He has performed at festivals around the world, playing works by beloved composers and even premiering new pieces. Hauser's career blew up beyond the classical world when he and friend Sulic uploaded a cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" to YouTube and it became a hit sensation.

Hauser Background

Born in Pula, Croatia, to a musical family — his mother was a percussionist — Hauser went on to study in Zagreb, London and eventually the United States. There, he studied under Bernard Greenhouse, the cellist for the Beaux Arts Trio, which was one of the most famous classical trios in the world. Hauser has since studied or performed with well-known musicians like Mstislav Rostropovich, Natalia Pavluskaya and Ralph Kirshbaum.

A few months after their YouTube fame, Hauser and fellow cellist Luka Sulic recorded their first album as 2Cellos. Containing music by bands like U2, Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay, the self-titled record reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Classical Albums chart and No. 85 on the Billboard Top 200. It reached No. 1 in their home country of Croatia. Going forward, their albums would continue to chart. Their sophomore effort, In2ition, featured music by Sting, Calvin Harris and Elton John. Later albums would contain more music from film scores such as Game of Thrones and Schindler's List. Tours in 2017 and 2019 took the duo around the world.