The College of Performing Arts is a division of The New School consisting of the Mannes School of Music, the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and the School of Drama. The units comprising the College of Performing Arts were consolidated in 2015 under New School Provost Tim Marshall, and Mannes dean Richard Kessler was named dean of the division, remaining in the role as of 2025.

The David Mannes Music School was established in 1916 by David and Clara (Damrosch) Mannes, professional musicians and educators. In 1953, the school became a degree-granting college, and the name of the institution was changed to the Mannes College of Music. In 1989, Mannes College became a division of The New School for Social Research, and became the Mannes School of Music upon its consolidation into the College of Performing Arts in 2015.

The Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at The New School was created in 1986 by Parsons School of Design Executive Dean David C. Levy and saxophonist Arnie Lawrence. It was the first degree-granting music program at the school, offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemporary Music. Originally nominally independent, but administered under Parsons, in the early 1990s the program was moved to Mannes School of Music, where it remained until 1997-1998, when it was made independent again after faculty unionized, joining the American Federation of Musicians. In 2013, the program was made into a full division of the school, and in 2015 it was placed under the new College of Performing Arts.

The New School's School of Drama grew out of a partnership with the Actors Studio, which became affiliated with The New School in 1995 when its director, James Lipton, approached New School president Jonathan Fanton to launch a three-year MFA program to train actors, writers, and directors. In 2004, after a negotiation impasse, the contract between the Actors Studio and The New School was terminated. The Actors Studio moved on from The New School to Pace University, and The New School established The New School for Drama, led by interim director Robert Lupone, who soon became director of the program. In 2011, Pippin Parker became head of school, and in 2013, under the leadership of associate dean Carrie Neal, Drama added a BFA degree track. In 2015, The New School for Drama became the School of Drama within the newly established College of Performing Arts.



References:

“Drama.” The New School. Accessed April 13, 2018. https://www.newschool.edu/drama/.

Emmert, Hannah. “Meet Keller Coker, New Dean of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music” The New School Free Press, 18 May 2017, https://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2017/05/18/meet-keller-coker-new-dean-new-school-jazz-contemporary-music/. Accessed 20 April 2023.

Gamerekian, Baraba. “For Corcoran's New Chief, Life Is Art” The New York Times, 11 December 1990. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/11/arts/for-corcoran-s-new-chief-life-is-art.html. Accessed 26 April 2023.

Grimes, William. "Mannes School Says Thank You." The New York Times, April 17, 1995.

"History: Mannes." The New School. Accessed October 25, 2018. http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/history/.

Kolhatkar, Sheelah. 2005. "Still Deep." Accessed April 13, 2018. http://observer.com/2005/06/still-deep/.

Levy, David C., and Arnie Lawrence. “Proposal for a BFA Curriculum in Jazz at the New School/Parsons.” Albert Landa records, 1984. The New School Archives, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/NS030207_000010

Mueller, Martin. “Audio interview with Martin Mueller.” New School oral history program, 2012. The New School Archives and Special Collections, https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/NS070101_Mueller_20121108.

New School News. “After 30 Years, Martin Mueller, Dean of the School of Jazz, Retires.” New School News, 27 September 2016, https://blogs.newschool.edu/news/2016/09/after-30-years-martin-mueller-dean-of-the-school-of-jazz-retires/. Accessed 19 April 2023.

The New School. “History | School of Jazz.” The New School, https://www.newschool.edu/jazz/history/. Accessed 19 April 2023.