The New School’s College of Performing Arts Welcomes New Faculty Members

The new faculty members include the acclaimed composer Andy Akiho and former cellist of the Kronos Quartet, Jeffrey Zeigler

Formed in 2015, the College of Performing Arts at The New School draws together the Mannes School of Music, the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and the School of Drama.

Four new faculty members have now been appointed at the Mannes School of Music to teach classes and ensembles, take private lessons, and develop and create new projects. 

The acclaimed artists Andy Akiho, Alison Deane, Jack Schatz, and Jeffrey Zeigler will now join the faculty that comprises Pulitzer, Grammy, MacArthur Genius, Guggenheim, and Avery Fisher Prize winners.

Known for his innovative approach to classical and contemporary repertoire, Jeffrey Zeigler was the cellist in the Kronos Quartet for eight years. This year, he gave the world premiere of Akiho’s new cello concerto, Nisei. In his teaching, Zeigler advocates a student-centered philosophy that emphasizes creativity, technical mastery, and an exploration of the cello’s rich potential in both solo and ensemble settings.

A Pulitzer Prize finalist and multi-GRAMMY nominee, composer Andy Akiho’s works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestra. He is a close collaborator of the College of Performing Arts Ensemble-in-Residence, Sandbox Percussion. Additionally, his latest release, BeLonging, is nominated for GRAMMY Awards in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo and Best Classical Compendium categories.

Pianist Alison Deane has performed extensively across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. Deane earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, where she was honored with the school’s prestigious Harold Bauer Award. 

Trombonist and educator Jack Schatz has worked across orchestral, operatic, Broadway, and jazz genres. The New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, National Grand Opera, Houston Opera, and New Jersey Symphony are among the ensembles he has performed with. On Broadway, Schatz’s credits include Phantom of the Opera, The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, and Side Show, among others. He has also recorded with The Ed Palermo Big Band, James Moody, Alan Pasqua, and Ted Nash.

“In 1916, David and Clara Mannes hired a full roster of brand new faculty including the likes of Ernest Bloch, Angela Diller, Elizabeth Quaile, and their dear friend, Pablo Casals as a regular guest artist,” said Dean of the Mannes School of Music, Richard Kessler in a press release. “In that spirit, we announce a wonderful slate of new faculty, including the brilliant composer and percussionist Andy Akiho, the wonderful pianist and pedagogue Alison Deane, the mainstay of bass trombone in the New York area, Jack Schatz, and returning to Mannes after a few years in Miami, the creative powerhouse cellist Jeffrey Zeigler. I am sure David and Clara Mannes would be impressed by this remarkable group of new faculty members.”