Hannah Holman, the former cellist of the Maia Quartet and lecturer in the School of Music in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, has won a position as a cellist for the New York City Ballet orchestra.

David Gier, professor of trombone and director of the School of Music, said the appointment reflects Holman's talent and commitment to music. "Hannah Holman is an extraordinarily talented cellist," Gier said, "and we couldn't be more proud here in the School of Music. We will miss having her on our faculty, as she has coached and mentored hundreds of students in chamber ensembles over the years with dedication and passion. But to win a position like this, in one of the world's top-tier orchestras, is extremely difficult, and we're thrilled that New York City and the world will become acquainted with her artistry. It's a richly deserved and hard-won honor for Hannah."

Holman's appointment with the New York City Ballet begins Sept. 1, 2012. She will remain based in Iowa City.

Holman joined the UI faculty and the Maia Quartet, formerly the UI's quartet-in-residence, in 2002. She began her professional career in England, playing with the English String Orchestra under Yehudi Menuhin and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle. An active chamber musician, she was a founding member of the Beaumont Piano Trio, which performed recitals around the United States and England, and was also a founder of Quadrivinium, a music ensemble in residence at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She has an active solo career, performing solo recitals and with orchestras in Michigan, Virginia, Georgia and Iowa. Additionally, Holman was invited to and participated in the Pablo Casals Cello competition in Germany and the Luis Sigall Cello Competition in Chile. In her orchestral career, she is currently principal cellist with the Quad Cities Symphony in Davenport, Iowa, and has been assistant principal cellist of the Richmond Symphony, the Michigan Chamber Orchestra, and the American Sinfonietta, and has performed with the Grand Tetons Festival Orchestra. She studied at the Eastman School of Music and Michigan State University, where she completed her Bachelor of Music degree, and obtained her Master of Music degree with Fritz Magg at the New England Conservatory. Holman has served on the faculties of the Worcester College (UK), Michigan State University Community School, Virginia Union University and the University of Iowa. The Maia Quartet disbanded in 2011, and Holman's appointment to the UI music faculty ends with the completion of the spring 2012 semester.

The New York City Ballet, widely considered one of the foremost ballet companies in the world, was established in the 1930s by George Ballanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. The company, whose home is the David H. Koch Theater in New York City's Lincoln Center with regular residencies at Saratoga Springs, New York, performs a 26-week season each year with its full orchestra.

For more information about the New York City Ballet, visit www.nycballet.com. For more information on the School of Music in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, visit http://music.uiowa.edu.