Stjepan Hauser (born 15 June 1986),[1] known professionally as HAUSER, is a Croatian cellist. He is a member of 2CELLOS, along with Luka Šulić.

Early life and musical training

Hauser was born in Pula, Croatia, into a musical family, where he began his musical education. He studied in Zagreb 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 as a Dorothy Stone Scholar at RNCM in Manchester and with Bernard Greenhouse in USA.

Career

Hauser has performed in more than 40 countries including debuts in Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Southbank Centre and many more.

In October 2006, Hauser was chosen to perform at the gala at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence for the late Mstislav Rostropovich. 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 with the Metropolitan Sinfonia at a Gala Tribute Concert dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. Subsequently, Hauser went on to perform and record as a solo artist including his recording of British composer Christopher Ball'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 in 2010, and features former Greenwich Trio member, Yoko Misumi, on piano.

On 11 June 2009, Hauser launched his channel on YouTube, which had since reached over 680 million views by September 2022. In January 2011, Hauser, along with friend and fellow cellist Luka Šulić, performed a cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" which was played solely on cello. In just a few days, the music video became a YouTube sensation. 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.