The New School has announced two senior appointments at the university’s College of Performing Arts.

The university said that Stephen Brown-Fried, Vice Dean for Curriculum and Learning of the College of Performing Arts, has been named Executive Dean of the College of Performing Arts, and Bill Gustafson, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the Mannes School of Music, has been appointed Dean of Mannes School of Music and Associate Dean of the College of Performing Arts.

Brown-Fried and Gustafson will begin in their new roles immediately.

As Executive Dean, Brown-Fried will serve as the College of Performing Arts’ principal academic and strategic leader, overseeing an innovative curriculum, financial and resource management, fundraising and partnerships, and administration and culture.

As Dean of Mannes, Gustafson will provide academic, artistic, and administrative leadership to Mannes students, faculty, and staff. He will lead the College of Performing Arts as a member of the college’s Deans Council and Associate Dean of the college, representing Mannes, Jazz, and Drama.

In a statement, Provost Kessler said: “Leadership transitions are profoundly important moments in the life of any institution. Communities wonder about what such transitions will augur for the future and can worry about what it will mean for the students, faculty, and staff. That future for the College of Performing Arts and Mannes could not be in better hands. Both Steve and Bill are steeped in all things necessary for success and each of them represents a continuation of a long tradition of gifted artist-administrator-leaders, going all the way back to David, Clara, and Leopold Mannes.”

Brown Fired added, “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve The College of Performing Arts and its constituent schools—The School of Drama, Mannes School of Music, and the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, which have been my home for over fifteen years. Our faculty, staff, and students are some of the most inspiring artists and educators I have ever met, and I could not be more thrilled to serve as an advocate for their exquisite artistry and groundbreaking work to develop the next generation of arts leaders.”

Gustafon also noted, “It is an honor to be named Dean of Mannes School of Music, and I deeply appreciate the opportunity to steward one of the world’s most celebrated music conservatories into the future. I’m excited to further my work with the talented students, faculty, and staff at Mannes, as well as my colleagues throughout the College of Performing Arts, to ensure that our school has a bright and important future.”

Brown-Fried holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Drama from Stanford University, where he graduated with honors, and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the Yale School of Drama, where he was the recipient of the Julian Milton Kaufman Memorial Prize in Directing. He has served in faculties of the Yale School of Drama, Marymount Manhattan College, the National Theatre Institute, and the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera.

Meanwhile, Gustafson holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Michigan, a Master of Business Administration from Long Island University, and a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Connecticut. He has served as an Associate Provost at Long Island University, as an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music, and as the Director of Opera Studies at the New England Conservatory. He has directed productions at the Central City Opera Company, Sarasota Opera, Opera Birmingham, Handel and Haydn Society, and Boston Baroque.

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