Mannes School of Music was established in 1916 by David and Clara (Damrosch) Mannes, professional musicians and educators. Prior to establishing Mannes, David founded one of the first music schools for Black children, the Music School Settlement for Colored People in Harlem.

In 1940, David and Clara's son Leopold, a pianist who was also one of the inventors of Kodachrome film, became first the director and then president of the school. In 1953, the school was granted a charter from the State of New York and became a degree-granting college. The name of the institution was changed to the Mannes College of Music.

In the 1950s and '60s, Mannes became known for its signature curriculum, the "Techniques of Music." During this time, many eminent faculty and students passed through the school's doors. In the 1970s, the school suffered a financial crisis that brought it to the brink of collapse. Under the leadership of Charles Kaufman, the school survived this crisis. In 1989, Kaufman negotiated the merger of Mannes with The New School. Kaufman served as dean until 1996.

In 2005, the school was renamed Mannes College The New School for Music. In 2015, as part of a university-wide reorganization, Mannes became a division of The New School's College of Performing Arts and the name changed to Mannes School of Music. From 1996-2011, Mannes was led by Joel Lester. As of 2023, the dean of Mannes is Richard Kessler, who has served in that role since 2011.

Sources:

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

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

The New School. "Richard Kessler." Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.newschool.edu/mannes/faculty/richard-kessler/