Mannes Sings a New Tune—and The Wall Street Journal and Opera News Listen
When Dean Richard Kessler took the helm of Mannes College The New School for Music three years ago, he started working with faculty and students on a mandate for change. The resulting plan, called “Mannes in A New Key” sets forth a vision for the venerable conservatory that focuses not only on core repertoire and technique, but incorporates new music and technology, community engagement, and interdisciplinary work.
The new plan is now in effect, with projects including the iOchestra and the Mannes American Composers Ensemble (MACE), and new star faculty like Missy Mazzoli, and the music world has started to take notice. The Wall Street Journal (password protected) recently spotlighted Mannes’ envelope-pushing approach to music education. And this summer, Opera News published a lengthy feature on the new plan for Mannes, noting that with built-in interdisciplinarity tapping the university’s capacities for “music drama, design, politics, social science, education, and community outreach with a downtown aesthetic — it doesn’t get more ‘New School’ than that.”
To learn more about Mannes, visit www.newschool.edu/mannes.