Mannes School of Music
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1916[1] |
Parent institution | The New School |
| Dean | Richard Kessler |
| Students | 1,135 across three divisions:[1]
|
| Location | New York City , New York , United States 40°47′12″N 73°58′28″W / 40.786587°N 73.97454°W |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Parsons red |
| Website | http://www.newschool.edu/mannes |
Mannes School of Music /ˈmæn[invalid input: 'ɨ']s/ is The New School university's music conservatory. In the fall of 2015, Mannes moved from its previous location on the Upper West Side to join the rest of the New School campus in Arnold Hall on 13th street. [2]
Mission
As written on their Web site, the school's mission statement is: "Mannes School of Music is dedicated to advancing the creative role of music in all aspects of a rapidly changing society. Mannes seeks to develop citizen artists who engage with the world around them in and through music, in traditional, new, and emergent forms of practice. "[3]
History
Originally called The David Mannes Music School, it was founded in 1916 by David Mannes, concertmaster of the New York Symphony Orchestra and Clara Damrosch, sister of Walter Damrosch, then conductor of that orchestra. Originally housed on East 70th Street (later occupied by the Dalcroze School), the campus was created out of three brownstones on East 74th Street, in Manhattan's Upper East Side. After 1938, the school was known as the Mannes Music School (possibly in conjunction with the retirement of David and Clara Mannes from active teaching). In 1953 Mannes began offering degrees and changed its name to the Mannes College of Music. It later merged with the Chatham Square Music School. In 1984 the school moved to a temporary home on West 85th Street, though it was to be moving to a new home, Arnhold Hall, in the West Village as of September 2014.[4] In 1989 Mannes joined The New School, comprising eight schools (including Parsons School of Design, Eugene Lang College, and The New School for Drama). In 2005, the New School administration changed its name to Mannes College the New School for Music. In 2015, the university renamed the school Mannes School of Music.[1]
Programs
Three academic divisions constitute the conservatory:[1]
- College — the academic spine of the school, conferring undergraduate and graduate degrees and diplomas.
- Preparatory — provides pre-college training for children and adolescents.
- Extension — offers continuing education programs for adults, from beginner to established musicians, including Mannes's newest program ESL+M, a one-year English-language-plus-music study program for international students who do not yet possess English-language skills to enter an American conservatory.[5]
The Techniques of Music program is the foundation for academic musical study at all three divisions at Mannes, encompassing the range of elementary to advanced music theory and aural skills classes.
Music theory was taught at Mannes from its inception, with David Mannes hiring important figures such as Ernest Bloch and Rosario Scalero to teach theory and composition. in 1931 Hans Weisse was hired, one of the leading students of Heinrich Schenker.[6] Over the following nine years, Weisse promoted not just the study of Schenkerian analysis but the incorporation of it into the musical life of the school, including performance and composition. Because of his association with the school, Schenker's publication Five Graphic Music Analyses (Fünf Urlinie-Tafeln) was published jointly by his regular publisher, Universal Edition and the David Mannes School in 1932.[7]
In 1940, Weisse died unexpectedly and was replaced by Felix Salzer. Salzer, also a student of Schenker, built upon Weisse's foundation by reorganizing the theory program into the Techniques of Music department. The philosophy behind this move was and is to integrate musicianship, theory, and performance, which was based on Schenker's concept of the role of theory in tonal music.[8] Salzer's leading student, Carl Schachter, as well as his students, continued and strengthened the department.
Today the Mannes program is rapidly evolving and expanding in both the study of performance and theory. Mannes has revised its curriculum to include the incorporation of music technology classes, improvisation ensembles, film music composition, creative entrepreneurship[9] and more, all tied to a new commitment to contemporary music well beyond the tonal-based approach of Schenker. The Mannes of today includes an ever increasing number of programs in partnership with its sister school, the School of Jazz at The New School.[10]
Notable people
College faculty
Alumni
Christopher Guardino - arranger, composer, conductor, keyboardist
References
- ^ a b c d http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/subpage.aspx?id=2760
- ^ http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150225/greenwich-village/new-school-build-performing-arts-hub-featuring-glass-box-theater
- ^ http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/
- ^ http://www.newschoolfreepress.com/2013/04/29/the-war-for-space/
- ^ http://www.newschool.edu/mannes/extension-division/
- ^ Historical information is derived from annual Mannes catalogs.
- ^ As indicated on the cover of the publication's first edition.
- ^ See David Carson Berry, "Hans Weisse and the Dawn of American Schenkerism," Journal of Musicology 20, no. 1 (Winter 2003): 104–156.
- ^ http://musicschoolcentral.com/one-nyc-music-school-changing-future-music-education/
- ^ http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2013/8/Features/Mannes_Enters_the_Modern_Era.html
External links
