Stjepan Hauser (; born 15 June 1986), known professionally as HAUSER, is a Croatian cellist. He is a member of

2CELLOS 2CELLOS (stylized 2CΞLLOS) were a Croatian cellist duo, consisting of classically trained cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. Signed to Sony Masterworks since 2011, they released six albums. They played instrumental arrangements of well- ...

, along with

Luka Šulić Luka Šulić (born 25 August 1987) is a Slovenian-Croatian cellist. He is a member of 2CELLOS, along with Stjepan Hauser. Early life Šulić was born in Maribor, Slovenia. Šulić's father, Božo (through whom Šulić has Croatian citizenship ...

Early life and musical training

Hauser was born in

Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the ...

, Croatia, into a musical family, where he began his musical education. His mother plays percussion. His sister is a journalist in Pula. Hauser finished secondary school in

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

. He studied in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slove ...

but completed his undergraduate studies with Natalia Pavlutskaya at Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban) London. He completed his postgraduate studies with

Ralph Kirshbaum Ralph Henry Kirshbaum (born March 4, 1946) is an American cellist. During his career he has performed as soloist with major orchestras worldwide, won prizes in several international competitions, and recorded extensively. Early life and education ...

as a Dorothy Stone Scholar at RNCM in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...

and with Bernard Greenhouse in USA.

Career

Hauser has performed in more than 40 countries including debuts in

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no governm ...

Amsterdam Concertgebouw The Royal Concertgebouw ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouw, ) is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" translates into English as "concert building". Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in ...

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nati ...

and many more. In October 2006, Hauser was chosen to perform at the gala at

Palazzo Vecchio The Palazzo Vecchio ( "Old Palace") is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo's ''David'' statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. Originally ca ...

in Florence for the late

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well ...

. Following this appearance, Hauser has been invited to perform in numerous festivals in Europe. At the International Holland Music Sessions 2009, he was chosen to participate in the "New Masters on Tour" concert series, presenting young artists in prestigious concert venues all over the continent. In December 2007, Hauser played the

Kol Nidre Kol Nidre (also known as Kol Nidrey or Kol Nidrei; Aramaic: ''kāl niḏrē'') is a Hebrew and Aramaic declaration which is recited in the synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). Strictly ...

with the Metropolitan Sinfonia at a Gala Tribute Concert dedicated to

. Subsequently, Hauser went on to perform and record as a solo artist including his recording of British composer

Christopher Ball Christopher Ball (7 July 1936 – 7 April 2022) was a British composer, arranger, conductor, clarinetist and recorder player. Early life and education Ball was born in Leeds in 1936. His father had trained in piano tuning and his mother was an ...

's First Concerto for Cello, written by the composer specifically for him. The album, ''Christopher Ball: Music for Cello'', was recorded at the first live performance of the

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...

in 2010, and features former Greenwich Trio member, Yoko Misumi, on piano. On 11 June 2009, Hauser launched his channel on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most vis ...

, which had since reached over 680 million views by September 2022. In January 2011, Hauser, along with friend and fellow cellist

, performed a cover of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's "

Smooth Criminal "Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...

" which was played solely on

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, ...

. In just a few days, the music video became a

sensation Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system. Sensation or sensations may also refer to: In arts and entertainment In literature *Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode *Sensation novel, a British ...

. The album ''Hauser Classic'' was released on 7 February 2020, in which he plays alongside the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was produced by Nick Patrick. During the COVID-19 quarantine, unable to tour in support of his solo album, Hauser released three performances via live streaming. The first, ''Hauser: Alone Together'', released on 27 April 2020 was performed at the Arena Pula, in Stjepan's hometown of Pula, Croatia, on the Istrian peninsula. The second, also titled ''Hauser: Alone Together'', was performed at Krka National Park, at the Krka Waterfalls in central Croatia. The second video was released on 15 June 2020, to celebrate the artist's 34th birthday. The third, again titled ''Hauser: Alone Together'', was recorded at Fort Lovrijenac in

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...

, Croatia, recognisable to many fans from the HBO series, '' Game of Thrones''. A special 2 disc edition of ''Hauser Classic'' is scheduled for October 2020 release. It includes a DVD of the three ''Hauser: Alone Together'' videos. The album ''Hauser plays Morricone'' premiered on YouTube on 27 October 2020.

Collaborations

Hauser has worked with cellists such as

, Bernard Greenhouse, Heinrich Schiff, Frans Helmerson,

Arto Noras Arto Noras (born 12 May 1942, in Turku) is a Finnish cellist who is one of Finland's most celebrated instrumentalists and amongst the most outstanding internationally acknowledged cellists of his generation. At the age of 8, Arto Noras started ...

, Valter Despalj,

Philippe Muller Philippe Muller (born 20 April 1946, in Mulhouse) is a French cellist. Biography Philippe Muller (born April 20, 1946, in Mulhouse) is a French cellist and pedagogue. His first contact with the cello was under the guidance of Dominique Prete, p ...

, Thomas Demenga, Young-Chang Cho, Reinhard Latzko, Karine Georgian, Roel Dieltiens, and

Alexander Ivashkin Alexander Ivashkin (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Ивашкин), (17 August 1948 – 31 January 2014) was a Russian cellist, writer, academic and conductor. Ivashkin studied at the Gnessin Institute, where his teache ...

, to mention a few. In early 2011, Hauser recorded an album with fellow Croatian Damir Urban. The album, the self-titled ''Urban and Hauser'', was released in the summer of 2011. Also in the spring of 2011, he recorded an album with Croatian pop star

Oliver Dragojević Oliver Dragojević (; 7 December 1947 – 29 July 2018) was a Croatian singer and composer, who was considered one of the most enduring musical stars and cultural icons in Croatia with a discography that spanned nearly five decades. His style ble ...

. The album, ''Noć nek' tiho svira'', was released in October 2011. Also in 2011, they performed together in Pula. That fall, along with fellow

member Luka Šulić, he began touring as a member of the Elton John band. Since then, he has performed with the band hundreds of times, on tour all around the world, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the Million Dollar Piano concert performance at the Coliseum at Caesar's Palace. In November 2011, he released another classical album: ''Brahms, Beethoven & Bruch for Clarinet, Cello & Piano'', again with Ms. Misumi, and clarinettist Leslie Craven. In 2018 and 2019, Hauser released a series of videos with Uzbek-American pianist

Lola Astanova Lola Astanova (russian: link=no, Лола Астанова; born on 3 July 1982 in Tashkent, USSR) is a Russian-American pianist noted for her visual performance and piano transcriptions. Career Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the age of six Asta ...

on social media.

Greenwich Trio

Together with the Slovenian violinist Lana Trotovsek and Japanese pianist Yoko Misumi, Hauser was a member of the Greenwich Trio, described by cellist Bernard Greenhouse as the "New Beaux Arts Trio". The Trio won a series of first prizes in the international chamber music competitions in the UK, Belgium and Italy. The Greenwich Trio had masterclasses with Amadeus Quartet,

Alban Berg Quartet The Alban Berg Quartett was a string quartet founded in Vienna, Austria in 1970, named after Alban Berg. Members Beginnings The Berg Quartet was founded in 1970 by four young professors of the Vienna Academy of Music, and made its debut in t ...

Guarneri Quartet The Guarneri Quartet was an American string quartet founded in 1964 at the Marlboro Music School and Festival. It was admired for its rich, warm, complex tone and its bold, dramatic interpretations of the quartet literature, with a particular aff ...

Beaux Arts Trio The Beaux Arts Trio was a noted piano trio, celebrated for their vivacity, emotional depth and wide-ranging repertoire. They made their debut on 13 July 1955, at the Berkshire Music Festival, Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, known today as the ...

, Trio Fontenay,

Menahem Pressler Menahem Pressler ( he, מנחם פרסלר; born 16 December 1923) is a German-born Israeli-American pianist. Pressler is Jewish. Following Kristallnacht, he and his immediate family fled Nazi Germany in 1939,

, Bernard Greenhouse,

Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis ( he, עברי גיטליס;‎ 25 August 1922 – 24 December 2020) was an Israeli virtuoso violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He performed with the world's top orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, New York Philh ...

Stephen Kovacevich Stephen Kovacevich (born October 17, 1940) is an American classical pianist and conductor. He is particularly celebrated for his recordings of works by Beethoven, Bartók and Schubert, and is known for technical skill, clarity of playing and a ...

, Ralf Gothoni, Niklas Schmidt, Arnold Steinhardt, Valentin Erben, and Eberhard Feltz. In March 2008, they performed

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's Triple Concerto with conductor

Barry Wordsworth Barry Wordsworth (born 20 February 1948, Worcester Park, Surrey, U.K.) is a British conductor. Wordsworth is Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Ballet and has had a long relationship with company. He was first appointed as Assistant Condu ...

and in September the same year they played in the sold out opening festival at King's Place, London.

2CELLOS

Under the name

, Hauser and Šulić recorded an album with

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, which was released in July 2011. In January 2012, they appeared as the special musical guests on Fox's hit TV series ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3 ...

'' where they performed "

" in the Michael Jackson tribute episode. This was the first time that an instrumental duo had performed on the show in this guest spot. 2CELLOS' arrangement of the song, which featured actors

Grant Gustin Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series '' The Flash'' as part of the Arrowverse, and as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series ''Gle ...

and

Naya Rivera Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and n ...

, debuted at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Digital Songs Chart and landed their debut album in the Top 100. In late 2012 and early 2013, a second 2CELLOS album, ''In2ition'', was released. After the release of the second album, Hauser spent several years touring, either as a member of 2CELLOS or with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

. A third album was released in early 2015 called ''Celloverse,'' just prior to a 38-city US tour. From 2014 through 2016, Hauser performed with Oliver Dragojević on at least five occasions, including the 2014 Split Festival, with Luka Šulić appearing briefly to join them, in free concerts in Rakalj and on Korčula, also in 2014, and as a guest at 2CELLOS' 5th anniversary free concert in Tomislav Square in Zagreb in 2016. His final performance in Las Vegas with

was in October 2015. 2CELLOS' fourth album, ''Score,'' a collection of movie music, was recorded with the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

and released in 2017. The first live performance was held in December 2016, at the Sydney (Australia) Opera House and is available on DVD. 2CELLOS' fifth album, ''Let There Be Cello,'' was released in 2018. After 2CELLOS' 2019 US tour, the duo took a one-year break, to work on solo classical albums for

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

and to tour individually.

Awards and achievements

Ribbon of an

Order of Danica Hrvatska The Order of Danica Hrvatska ( hr, Red Danice hrvatske; lit. "Order of the Croatian Morning Star") is the fourteenth most important medal given by the Republic of Croatia. The order was founded on 1 April 1995. The medal is awarded for different p ...

with the face of

Marko Marulić Marko Marulić Splićanin (), in Latin Marcus Marulus Spalatensis (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "psychology". He is the national poet of Croatia. According to ...

for a special contribution to the culture and promotion of Croatia in the world. Hauser is laureate of international competitions and awards such as the PLG Young Artists Auditions 2009, the J & A Beare Solo

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

Competition 2009, NYOS Staffa Award 2009, the

Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...

– Martin Musical Scholarship Fund 2009 and 2008, the

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the lar ...

Symphony Orchestra Young Soloist Competition 2009 and 2007, the

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. Th ...

International Young Concert Artists Competition 2008 and 2006, the Computers in Personnel International

Concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...

Competition 2008, the Frankopan Fund Award 2006, and the MBF Music Education Award 2006 and 2005. He has also won international cello competitions and awards such as the Adam International Cello Festival and Competition in New Zealand 2009, and the VTB Capital Prize for Young Cellists 2009. Altogether, Hauser collected a total of 21 first prizes at national and international competitions and, as a consequence, he was invited to perform twice on Gala concerts for HRH

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ha ...

and

St. James's Palace St James's Palace is the most senior royal palace in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace gives its name to the Court of St James's, which is the monarch's royal court, and is located in the City of Westminster in London. Altho ...

. In May 2012, Hauser won four Porin awards, two with Luka Šulić (2Cellos), and the other two for his collaboration with Damir Urban on their album ''Urban & Hauser''. Hauser subsequently won an additional Porin award, for Best Video Release, along with Luka Šulić (2CELLOS) and Dušan Kranjc (drummer) for their Arena Zagreb DVD.

Discography

References

External links

Stjepan Hauser
discography at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

Official Hauser website

Official 2CELLOS website

Hauser extended classical music selection with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
2017. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hauser, Stjepan 2Cellos members Croatian cellists Living people People from Pula 1986 births 21st-century Croatian people Elton John Band members