The Board and Staff of Guild Hall (158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY) are pleased to announce that their Director of Learning + New Works, Anthony Madonna, has been promoted to Theater Director and Curator of Performing Arts. Anthony is an interdisciplinary collaborative artist, educator, and creative producer with degrees in music education and vocal arts. He is a graduate of the Beth Morrison Projects Producer Academy, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (M.M. Music Leadership), The Juilliard School’s Professional Apprenticeship Program, and Westminster Choir College (B.M. Music Education & Vocal Performance).
Executive Director Andrea Grover says, “Anthony has demonstrated a total devotion to Guild Hall’s mission. He has a keen eye for artistry and the rigor to run a top-notch performing arts program. He loves our community and has built significant collaborations and networks across New York and with national institutions since joining us almost six years ago. Above all, he gives artists the attention they need to create their best work.”
In 2019, Anthony joined Guild Hall as the inaugural Patti Kenner Fellow in Arts Education and was promoted to Director of Learning + New Works in 2022. In this role, he managed all Guild Hall learning initiatives on-site and in schools, including the Guild Hall Teen Arts Council (the first paid teen arts program in the region), and initiated Guild Hall’s two residency programs (the Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artist-in-Residence program and the Community Artist-in-Residence program).
“I am so grateful for the trust the Board and Staff of Guild Hall have shared with me over the past five years,” says Anthony Madonna. “The opportunity to learn from our East End communities and support the development of new projects and artists has been both professionally and personally impactful. I am excited to grow the relationships and artistry we’ve built at Guild Hall in this new role.”
At the core of Anthony’s initiatives is a commitment to the diverse communities of the area, artist development, and collaborations with local arts centers, such as Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, OLA of Eastern Long Island, Eastville Historical Society, Southampton African American Museum, and regional partners such as Works & Process, New York Live Arts, and New York City Center. Anthony has worked within institutions such as The McCarter Theatre Center, The Juilliard School, and the Barbican Centre. His projects have been shown and/or performed as part of the Tate Modern: Tate Exchange (London), the Barbican Centre’s Dialogue, UnFinished, and Curious festivals (London), and The Arts Center at Duck Creek (Long Island, NY).
A manager position for Learning + New Works will be created and filled in early 2025 and will report to Anthony.
This evolution of Guild Hall’s organizational structure aligns with its most recent strategic plan that calls for building a multi-voice programming team to encompass visual arts, performing arts, education, cultural, and community programs. As part of this unification, an updated Program Team has been formed with primary Program Team members: Anthony Madonna, Melanie Crader (now Museum Director and Curator of Visual Arts), and Amy Kirwin (now Chief Public Engagement + Impact Officer). Together, Anthony Madonna, Melanie Crader, and Amy Kirwin are responsible for creating dynamic programming of wide-ranging interest to Guild Hall’s existing and new audiences, from classical to innovative art forms and cultural offerings.