(Friday, February 2, 2024, Los Angeles) – The Colburn School is pleased to announce the appointment of Nate Zeisler to the position of Provost, effective January 2024, and Mira Wolff as Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel, effective October 2023.
As Provost, Nate Zeisler will serve as the chief academic officer at the institution, overseeing four distinct educational units—the Conservatory of Music, Community School of Performing Arts, Music Academy, and Trudl Zipper Dance Institute—which provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education. The units share a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction. Zeisler will oversee a student body of over 2,000 and Colburn’s faculty and academic unit staff.Prior to his appointment to Provost, Zeisler served as Interim Provost; Vice President of Partnerships and Planning, overseeing the development of strategic and community partnerships for The Colburn Center, the Frank Gehry-designed campus expansion of the Colburn School; and Dean for Community Initiatives, where he launched and ran the Center for Innovation and Community Impact (CICI).“Nate brings over 12 years of Colburn School experience to the Provost role, and a thorough understanding of our curriculum across the school,” said Sel Kardan, President and CEO of The Colburn School. “He has knowledge of our faculty and academic programs, significant experience working with our board and greater community, and a national profile in community engagement and career development. Due to his calm demeanor, thoughtful decision making, and deep understanding of and support of our mission, he has built strong relationships with his colleagues at Colburn and peers in the field.”“It is an honor to take on this position and build upon the work of our former Provost, Adrian Daly,” said Zeisler. “As Dean for Community Initiatives for many years, I have helped create a pipeline of learning so that children from our Title I partner schools can experience a performing arts education. As I take on the oversight of multiple educational units within the school, I am committed to maintaining the philosophy of ‘access to excellence’ which informs everything we do. Working with our incredible faculty, I look forward to upholding Colburn’s philosophy of providing top-level instruction to all who aspire to study music or dance.”Mira Wolff, Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel, brings more than twenty years of human resources management and legal counsel experience in a variety of industries to the position at Colburn. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Wolff will be responsible for the strategy and leadership in all aspects of Human Resources. She will serve as the primary HR contact for management, faculty, and staff and will provide guidance, counsel, and recommendations regarding HR matters and initiatives. As General Counsel, she will lead and guide the organization on best practices for compliance and governance, and provide support on major organizational initiatives. Wolff will also serve as Corporate Secretary for the Board of Directors.Prior to becoming a human resources professional, Wolff was an attorney specializing in employment law and general business litigation, where she supported small to medium-sized companies as well as their human resources departments. Through this experience, she developed a passion for human resources and in 2002 became Employment and Corporate Counsel for a publicly traded company. She has a lifelong passion for music and the arts, having studied violin, voice, and dance from early childhood through college.“Mira brings valuable skills, experience, and energy to the position,” said Kardan “She comes to Colburn School with a wealth of experience, combining legal expertise with a profound understanding of human resources. These skills, coupled with her lifelong passion for music and arts, make her an ideal addition to the Colburn leadership team.”“It is a privilege to join the Colburn School, and to merge my legal and human resources expertise with my deep passion for music and dance,” said Wolff. “I look forward to supporting and advancing a culture of open communication and employee support, and I am excited to contribute to the ongoing endeavor of ensuring equitable access to excellence in arts education while working with the teams at Colburn.”ABOUT NATE ZEISLER:Nate Zeisler envisions a world where artists have a clear path to a sustainable career, where creative minds are empowered and inspired to rule the workforce, and where access to the arts is not just for the privileged few, but for all.Prior to his appointment to Provost, Zeisler served as Dean for Community Initiatives where he launched and ran the Center for Innovation and Community Impact (CICI). CICI engages students, faculty, and staff from all units of the institution as well as alumni and members of the performing arts community in career development and community impact programming. Through this work, Zeisler built a pipeline of sequential arts learning for thousands of children in greater Los Angeles so that children from all backgrounds may experience a performing arts education. He also supported the careers of world-class artists and passionate entrepreneurs, offering career advice and action-based learning opportunities that prime them for the 21st-century workforce.As an educator, Zeisler served on the faculty of The Colburn School for 13 years, teaching career development and community engagement courses to students attending the Conservatory of Music. Prior to Colburn, he was the Assistant Professor of Bassoon and Entrepreneurship at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and began his career as a music teacher at Camp Allen Elementary School in Norfolk, VA.In 2004, Zeisler founded the Envision Chamber Consort, a chamber music ensemble dedicated to presenting intimate concerts as a form of contemporary communication. Zeisler was also co-founder and Executive director of Arts Enterprise from 2006-2011, a chapter-based organization that helped students find sustainable careers in their chosen field.As a bassoonist, Zeisler performed numerous solo recitals, was an accomplished chamber musician, and served as Principal bassoonist of the Ann Arbor Symphony from 2006-2011. He earned his doctorate and master’s degree in bassoon performance from the University of Michigan and bachelor’s degree in music education from Old Dominion University. ABOUT MIRA WOLFF:Mira Wolff has served as Head of Human Resources and General Counsel for several corporations. In the course of her career, she has been responsible for all aspects of human resources, including managing payroll, and has become a true generalist on corporate legal matters.Wolff grew up in a family of musicians and educators and has a lifelong passion for music and the arts. Throughout college and early adulthood, she continued her violin and voice studies and performed in various venues throughout Southern California. Her father was a music teacher at Banning and Eagle Rock high schools where he taught every instrument with a focus on brass, her mother was a violinist, folk guitar player, and college professor, and her sister is a French Horn player and music teacher.Wolff holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from California State University, Long Beach, and a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law. She also received a Certificate in Human Resources Management from California State University, Long Beach, and is a member of the State Bar of California.ABOUT THE COLBURN SCHOOL:A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the Colburn School trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.
Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community.The Colburn Center, designed by Frank Gehry, is a multi-faceted campus expansion of the Colburn School. Located across the street from the School’s existing campus at the intersection of Olive and Second Streets, the Colburn Center will enable the School to expand its mission of presenting programs for the public. Gehry’s design includes a 1,000-seat in-the-round concert hall named Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, five professional-sized dance studios including a 100-seat studio theater, and gardens that bring fresh air and green spaces to the downtown landscape.Social MediaFacebook.com/colburnschool Instagram and Twitter: @ColburnSchoolYouTube/colburnschoollosangelesContacts:Jennifer Kallendjkallend@colburnschool.edu215-622-6195Lisa Bellamorelbellamore@gmail.com323-500-3071
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