James Antonucci Named Arts Program Coordinator

Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones today announced that Mr. James Antonucci has been appointed PreK-12 arts program coordinator, effective July 1. Since 2011, Mr. Antonucci has been with West Hartford Public Schools as the director of bands for Hall High School and Sedgwick Middle School as well as an instrumental music teacher at Aiken and Bugbee Elementary Schools and Charter Oak International Academy.

At GPS, Mr. Antonucci will be responsible for overseeing and ensuring the highest quality for one of the region’s and country’s top visual and performing arts programs. His leadership will continue to bolster the coordination across all 15 GPS schools, with uniform and equitable implementation to align with district improvement goals. He will be responsible for overseeing the visual, music, and theater arts programs for the district and will report directly to Chief Officer of K-12 Curriculum and Leadership Mr. Marc D’Amico.

Currently, Mr. Antonucci serves as a Connecticut State Department of Education’s Alternative Routes to Certification Music Methods instructor across the state and regional candidate evaluator across all disciplines for music educators.

“James Antonucci is a dedicated educator and leader and is driven to serve all students to enable them to reach and expand their potential,” Dr. Jones said. “Not only did his tremendous experience in the  classroom and in leadership roles impress the district’s interview committee, but his accomplishments as a professional musician will serve as a great asset to our program. Greenwich Public Schools continues to attract the very best educators and administrators from our region. The Greenwich community cares very deeply about the Arts, and with Mr. Antonucci in place, the program will be in great hands.”

In addition to his teaching experience at West Hartford Public Schools, Mr. Antonucci also served as the director of bands at Bristol Eastern High School, a manager for K-12 Educational Programs for Jazz at Lincoln Center, and music director at Xavier High School in Middletown. His instrumental and choral groups have received multiple recognitions at many regional and national competitions through the years, including Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards, Essentially Ellington Competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Charles Mingus Competition, National Jazz Festival, and the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival. His students have been selected and acknowledged by the NFAA Young Arts Awards, NAfME All National Ensembles, and NYO Jazz program at Carnegie Hall.  

“I am excited to be joining the Greenwich Public Schools community, one that values the arts for all learners from prekindergarten through grade 12,” Mr. Antonucci said. “I look forward to partnering with the incredible faculty to support authentic, student-centered arts instruction and further deepen community engagement through the arts.”

Mr. Antonucci holds a bachelor’s degree in Music, Studio and Jazz Performance from the University of Miami and a Master’s in Music Education from New York University. He also earned his Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University.