2Cellos | |
|---|---|
 2Cellos in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Genres | Cello rock,classical,chamber music,instrumental rock |
| Labels | Sony Masterworks |
| Members | Luka Šulić Stjepan Hauser Dušan Kranjc |
| Website | https://2cellos.com/ |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Subscribers | 6.2+ million |
| Views | 1.6+ billion |
| Last updated: 18 September 2022 | |
2Cellos (stylized2CΞLLOS) were a Croatian cellist duo,[1][2][3] consisting of classically trained cellistsLuka Šulić andStjepan Hauser. Signed toSony Masterworks in 2011, they released six albums. The duo played instrumental arrangements forcellos of well-known pop and rock songs, as well as classical and film music.[4] The duo performed internationally and were featured on several American television series includingGlee andThe Bachelor (Sean and Catherine's Wedding).[5] They continue to be active as solo performers.
Hauser is fromPula,Croatia, andŠulić is fromMaribor,Slovenia (born to a Croatian father and Slovenian mother[6]). They met at amaster class in Pula while still in their teens. They were both educated at theAcademy of Music inZagreb.[7] Later on, Šulić studied inVienna and they both studied in theUK (Šulić at London'sRoyal Academy of Music and Hauser at Trinity College of Music, nowTrinity Laban Conservatoire of Music in London and then at theRoyal Northern College of Music in Manchester).[8]
The duo rose to fame in 2011 after their cover of "Smooth Criminal" became a hit onYouTube,[9] receiving over three million views in the first two weeks[8] and almost 43 million views as of April 2021.[10] One of Hauser's acquaintances in Croatia, a director, assisted in the creation of a video to "Smooth Criminal." The video[11] features Šulić and Hauser facing off alone in a large ballroom littered with chairs, playingJackson's tune.[8] Before they became partners, the two cellists were sometimes considered rivals, competing against each other in music competitions.[11]
2Cellos signed to record withSony Masterworks,[12] and finished recording their first album in May 2011,[13] which carried theMenart Records label in Croatia.[14] Released on 19 July 2011,[15] theireponymous debut album includes covers of songs byU2,Guns N' Roses,Nine Inch Nails,Sting,Coldplay,Nirvana,Muse, andKings of Leon. The album also features a cello version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature."[8] The duo said that they chose songs that could be arranged as covers playable on just two cellos.[16] In anticipation of the release, 2Cellos released their second single, "Welcome to the Jungle," a cover of the Guns N' Roses songof the same name.[11][17]
Elton John asked the duo to appear with him on his 2011 summer tour,[9] which began inCardiff, Wales on 8 June.[8] John personally called Šulić and said that he had watched the "Smooth Criminal" video and wanted 2Cellos to participate in his thirty-city tour.[18] The two had previously performed onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show of 25 April 2011.[12][19] 2Cellos also performed at the 2011iTunes Festival in London.[18] They went on to perform internationally with Elton John and his band for five years, including hundreds of performances atThe Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. They appear inThe Million Dollar Piano movie filmed at the Colosseum in 2012 and on the 2013 album,The Diving Board.
The duo performed an arrangement of "Smooth Criminal" in the third season of the television showGlee.[20] The episode in which they appeared, titled"Michael", aired on 31 January 2012, and was the first time that the series highlighted instrumental musicians. The scene featuring "Smooth Criminal" was set up similarly to 2Cellos' original music video for the song.[21] On 4 June 2012 2Cellos performed with Elton John at the Queen'sDiamond Jubilee Concert atBuckingham Palace. On 12 June 2012, 2Cellos performed in front of a fullArena Zagreb audience. The concert was filmed for DVD:Live at Arena Zagreb.
Although the two usually record covers of rock songs, Šulić and Hauser said they still play with orchestras and will not abandon playing classical music. The cellists said they would someday like to go on tour with both a classical and a contemporary orchestra,[11] a hope that was fulfilled in part during their tour for the albumScore. Their second studio album, entitledIn2ition, came out early in 2013, and featured new twists on a diverse range of classic tracks with a few surprise vocal and instrumental duet partners including Elton John,Lang Lang,Naya Rivera,Steve Vai,Sky Ferreira andZucchero. The album was produced byBob Ezrin.
Other tracks include covers ofAC/DC's "Highway to Hell" featuring Vai,Coldplay's "Clocks" featuring Lang Lang,Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole" featuring Rivera, an Italian version of "The Book of Love" byThe Magnetic Fields entitled "Il Libro Dell'Amore" featuring Zucchero,Karl Jenkins' "Benedictus", and "Oh Well" featuring Sir Elton.[22]
In July 2013, they filmed a commercial for the Japanese mobile phone companyDocomo.[23] Their albumIn2ition debuted on theJapanese Albums Chart, in August 2013 at number 1.[24] Since then, they have done commercials for the US National Football League Thursday Night Football[1], for 1906 Reerva Especial[2] and they have done several print campaigns for the Italian designer,s.Oliver.
As a part of their world tour with Elton John, including concerts in North America, Europe and Asia, 2Cellos performed atMadison Square Garden two days in a row, in December 2013.[25] In March 2014, they had a solo Japanese tour.[26]
In 2015, 2Cellos released their third album,Celloverse, which they also co-produced.[27] The album contains a diverse array of renditions including AC/DC's "Thunderstruck",Avicii's "Wake Me Up", Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us",Hans Zimmerʼs "Mombasa" (fromInception), and an original work titledCelloverse, among numerous other covers.
2Cellos has used YouTube to reach out to their audience, posting videos of notable live performances, includingArena Zagreb (2012),Arena Pula (2013),EXIT Festival (2014), and their fifth anniversary concert atArena di Verona (2016) in Italy. In February 2014, the duo published their rendition ofAC/DC's "Thunderstruck" to YouTube. The video depicts the duo playing before aBaroque audience, which soon finds out that the song is anything but classical. The video went viral at the beginning of March, gathering 10 million views in the first two weeks.[28] As of March 2021, the video has garnered over 200 million views.
As Šulić toldThe Sydney Morning Herald, "we love AC/DC as much asBach." Hauser added, "both (AC/DC and Bach) are simple and convincing in what they do."[28][29]
In 2017, Šulić and Hauser released their fourth album,Score, recorded with theLondon Symphony Orchestra, which included a wide array oftelevision andfilm music. To mark the album's release, 2Cellos released their official YouTube video forGame of Thrones Medley, which garnered over 1 million views in two days.
On 26 May 2018, 2Cellos performed theUEFA Champions League Anthem ahead of the2018 UEFA Champions League Final betweenReal Madrid andLiverpool.[30] That same year, they released their fifth album,Let There be Cello. In November 2022, they performed at the Cairo International Film Festival.[31]
TheDedicated World Tour was 2Cellos' farewell tour. Šulić cited focusing on his family as a reason for formally ending his involvement with 2Cellos, while Hauser will continue on with solo work.[32][33]
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2Cellos | Best International Album | Won | [34] |
| "Smooth Criminal" | Best International Song | Won | ||
| 2013 | In2ition | Best International Album | Nominated | [35] |
| 2014 | Live at Arena Zagreb | Best International Video Album | Won | [36] |
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | In2ition | Instrumental Album of the Year | Won | [37] |
| "Kagemusha" | Song of the Year by Download | Won | [38] |
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2Cellos | Best Adria Act | Nominated | [39] |
| Year | Recipient | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2Cellos | Musicians of the Year | Won | [40] |
| Year | Recipient | Order |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Luka Šulić,Stjepan Hauser | Ribbon of anOrder of Danica Hrvatska with the face ofMarko Marulić |
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