Hannah Thomas-Hollands

Born in Houston and raised in the Washington DC area, Hannah Thomas-Hollands began her cello studies at the age of six. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2012, studying with Richard Weiss of the Cleveland Orchestra and graduating with both the Dean’s Award for undergraduate achievement and a minor in economics from Case Western Reserve University. In 2014, she obtained a Master’s degree from Southern Methodist University under the tutelage of Christopher Adkins and Andres Diaz, also earning a membership into the honors fraternity Pi Kappa Lambda.

Prior to her work with the Utah Symphony, Hannah held positions with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Grand Rapids Symphony since graduating from school. She has enjoyed a versatile performing and teaching career in addition to her orchestral work, having been featured in solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and masterclasses at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Valley State University, the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, Voices of Change, and the Walden Chamber Music Society, among others. Hannah is also passionate about music education – beyond her work as a private teacher and guest clinician, she proudly administered the Utah Symphony’s pilot virtual private lesson program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hannah resides in Rose Park with fellow Utah Symphony musician Paul Torrisi and their cat, Pepper. Outside of musical pursuits, she enjoys cooking and baking, extremely hot yoga, and climbing Utah’s beautiful mountains.