After conquering Youtube with their version of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal by using cellos, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, both music students in Croatia takes that talent to higher level as they signed with Sony Masterworks for a record deal. As part of their promo tour for their album that was officially released last July, Luka and Stjepan or popularly known as 2Cellos is having a concert tour and Philippines is one of their chosen destinations. You can catch them perform live at the Resorts World Manila on Jan. 20, 2012.
In their album that now out in the market, Sulic & Hauser gives a unique spin on hits by Guns N’ Roses, U2, Trent Reznor and Kings of Leon. There are twelve (12) songs in the album including Smooth Criminal, Welcome To The Jungle, Hurt, Human Nature, Smells Like Teen Spirit and With or Without You. It is available on CD or digital format that is available on iTunes and Amazon.
2Cellos was already invited by Sir Elton John to perform in his European Tour this summer. Also they already appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last April 25th as they performed Smooth Criminal live in front of the audience. Luka and Stjepan are extremely accomplished musicians both having played the cello since childhood. They recently completed their studies, Luka at the acclaimed Royal Academy of Music in London, and Stjepan at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Luka has performed all over the world at renowned venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna’s Musikverein and Konzerthaus. He has won a series of international prizes including first prize at the VII Lutoslawski International Cello Competition (Warsaw, 2009). Stjepan has also performed around the world in most European countries, South Africa, New Zealand, Asia and the USA, with debuts in London’s Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, South Bank Centre and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. He was the last pupil of Mstislav Rostropovich. In his short career, Stjepan has already been awarded first prize in twenty-one national and international competitions, and he has performed twice for Prince Charles at Buckingham and St James‘s Palace.
Aside from the Philippines, Luka and Stjepan will be visiting Japan (Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo) on January 13-18. They will be going to Peru (Lima) on February 1, Costa Rica on Feb 3, and Venezuela (Caracas) on Feb 5 for the Elton John Show. And on Feb 8 they will be performing at The Million Dollar Piano event that will happen in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, USA. For more about the 2Cellos visit their website – www.2cellos.com.
