Luka Šulić: “I treat my cello as a human being”

Music going out LimassolLimassolmusicTop News Luka Šulić: “I treat my cello as a human being” Luka Šulić I Treat My Cello As A Human Being Relevant News Luka Šulić: “I treat my cello as a human being” 11 June 2026 Occupation forces detain GC firefighter in Pyla buffer zone 11 June 2026 Overnight pharmacies on Thursday, June 11 11 June 2026 Yiorgos Savvinidis 11 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The acclaimed virtuoso and composer who has done more than almost anyone to take the cello beyond the boundaries of classical music is deeply convinced that music suspends time and creates spaces of inner stillness. For millions of people, he is one half of the duo that, with 2CELLOS, turned a quintessentially classical instrument into a global phenomenon. The arenas, the viral videos, the world tours and the unprecedented popularity seemed to confirm that the cello could conquer spaces that had until then belonged exclusively to rock and pop culture. Today, Luka Šulić appears more interested in a path that is less noisy, more inward and personal. His attention has turned to composition, to inspiration, and to a music that seeks less to impress and more to tell the truth. Having conquered the world with his extroversion and explosive stage presence, he has turned back towards the essence. It is worth recalling that long before the cello acquired the energy of an electric guitar in his hands, he had already carved out a brilliant career in the demanding world of classical music. Now, as part of the global tour promoting his new solo album ‘LIFE’, he comes to Cyprus and the idyllic Ancient Theatre of Kourion. On that occasion, he shares his thoughts with us — and his conviction that a melody can touch the human heart in a way nothing else can. You will be performing in a two-thousand-year-old ancient theatre by the sea. Does the way you approach a concert change in places like this? Every venue has its own atmosphere, but places like that feel very special. You become more aware of where you are. It naturally changes your focus and makes the whole experience feel more meaningful. You feel the weight of centuries and it makes you approach the performance with even more humility. In a place where stone, memory and sound have coexisted for centuries, do you feel that music acquires a different kind of gravity — that it somehow enters into dialogue with time itself? Yes, you feel connected to something bigger than yourself. In those moments, music feels timeless. You become aware that so many lives existed there before you and somehow music connects all of it. It feels like a conversation between the present and past. That gives the performance a different weight. Do you believe that music leaves “traces” in the places where it is performed? I do believe that certain places, not just people, carry an energy after music has passed through them. Maybe not in a literal way, but definitely emotionally and metaphysically. Like the walls also remember. Your artistic journey seems to have moved from the extroversion of a stage explosion towards something more introspective and contemplative. Was this an artistic choice or a personal necessity? It was both. As you grow, your priorities change. I naturally felt drawn to something more personal and honest. To create my own music and really show my true soul. It just felt right. I still enjoy a stage explosion and there is still plenty of it in my concerts, just different kinds. (laughs) When the chapter of 2CELLOS came to an end, what was the first thing you needed to rediscover within yourself as an artist? My own pace. After many intense years, I needed space to reconnect with music without pressure and find what inspired me personally. That was essential. © Simone De Luka Your performances have always had an intense physicality — almost like an athletic challenge. How has your relationship with the body and exhaustion changed over the years? Over time, I learned the body is also an instrument. You have to respect it, care for it, listen to it. There’s wisdom in that balance. I also try to stay in shape physically with a healthy and sporty lifestyle. This is important also for your mind. It is all connected. Is there anything that tires you about the contemporary pressure for artists to remain constantly “visible”? I believe that true art and creativity needs space. It needs quiet and time away from constant attention. It needs privacy and stillness. Sometimes the most meaningful things happen far away from the spotlight. I also try to focus more on my growth as a human, father, husband, musician and artist and less on being visible. I am certain my music will find its way to the hearts of the people. But I have to go step by step. What does the cello mean to you today? Is it an instrument, an extension of the body, or something more existential? What is it that still makes you pick it up every day? I treat my cello as a human being. With love and care. There is always something new to discover. It feels like part of my being. It keeps teaching me and it helps to bring my music to life and show my soul to the world. Are there moments on stage when the body plays before thought does? When you feel you lose control and function purely on instinct? Yes. I call that the flow state, which I always aim to achieve at every concert. Every concert is like a new painting, which you paint in that very unique moment, when you stop thinking completely and surrender. Then something very real can happen. You trust everything you’ve practised and just let yourself be present. In your work, classical discipline coexists with a strong emotional freedom. Are these two forces ever in conflict within you? They support each other. Discipline gives you control, and emotion gives meaning. But, to be fully able to express yourself and be free, you need discipline and a strong technical foundation. If you want to reach high levels of artistic freedom and expression you need both. Can music still create spaces for reflection and contemplation in such a noisy age? Absolutely. I think people need that more than ever. Music can stop time for a few minutes and bring us back to ourselves. Do moments of doubt still exist before you step onto the stage? Always. And I think that’s healthy. It means you care deeply. The nerves are a reminder that we are alive. After so many years of international success, what is it that still moves you deeply about music? Its ability to connect people in a very direct and honest way. That never stops being powerful. One note can touch something in the heart that nothing else can reach. That still amazes me. Was there ever a moment when you felt that the “show” — the stage spectacle — was beginning to overshadow the music itself? Yes, in the past. But not in recent years. And when that happens, it’s important to return to the essence. The music has to remain the centre. Everything else is secondary. © Simone De Luka ‘LIFE’ feels almost like a response to the noise of previous years. Is that a fair reading of the album? Yes, to a certain extent. It came from a quieter, more reflective place. It was my way of breathing deeply again. I was able to be fully myself — honest, authentic, fragile. Finally I was able to show my true nature and my soul to the world. The titles of the pieces — ‘Pain’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Eternal’, ‘Blue Heart’ — feel almost like chapters from a diary. Do you write music to express emotions that cannot be put into words? Some emotions are too deep or too complex for language. Music can say what words cannot. More directly and honestly than any artform, in my humble opinion. Each song on the album has its own inspiration, but Life itself connects them all. That is why I chose this title for the album. Do you feel that classical music suffered for years from an unnecessary elitism? Music belongs to everyone. Emotion belongs to everyone. It should never feel closed off or distant. I try to break down those walls every time I step on stage. When you see younger audiences approaching classical music through your own influence, do you feel that you achieved a small cultural shift? That means the world to me. If even one person discovers this world and feels inspired or comforted by it, that is something wonderful. When a concert ends, what remains stronger: the memory of the melody or the emotion? For me, always the emotion. And sometimes one concert can live inside your heart for many years, or even forever. I hope this will be the case in Cyprus. Let’s create magic together. Luka Šulić performs in Cyprus as part of the global ‘LIFE Tour’. Limassol, Ancient Theatre of Kourion, Sunday, June 14, 8pm. Duration: 90 minutes. Tickets: SoldOut Tickets Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Occupation forces detain GC firefighter in Pyla buffer zone Overnight pharmacies on Thursday, June 11 Cyprus Hamas network: three suspects committed for trial as fourth walks free Limassol stabbing suspect remanded for eight days as victim names attacker Pope Leo XIV visits Barcelona On this day: Greek Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis resigns in 1963 FIFA chief Infantino defends visa handling and ticket prices ahead of World Cup opener Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.