Croatian cellist finds a second home

When Croatian cellist Ana Rucner first came to China in 2010, she instinctively believed that someday she would return — an intuition proven right after seven years.

From 2017, Rucner started making frequent trips back to China, especially to Shanghai, leaving her footprints and melodies across the nation, where she felt free to be who she is.

Born into a family of professional musicians in 1983 in Zagreb, Croatia, Rucner is an internationally renowned cellist with a unique style that blends classical and modern music. As one of Croatia's most successful performers, Rucner is often regarded as one of the most innovative classical artists to have emerged over the past few decades.

Winning numerous national and international awards, her shows are well-received across the world. She has toured a number of nations including Japan, India, Russia, Australia, the United States, Germany, France, and Italy.

Rucner's parents are both classically trained musicians. Her mother is a cellist with the Croatian National Theatre, and her father is a violist with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Her brother Mario is also a violist. Inspired by her family, and especially her mother, Rucner fell in love with the cello and began playing when she was around six-and-a-half years old.

"I've always watched my mom playing and thought she is so amazing, beautiful, quite peaceful, but strong and talented. I wanted to be like her, and so I tried to play. This was my destiny," recalls Rucner with a smile.