David Jayden Anthony

David Jayden Anthony grew up inside the Orange County School of the Arts — one of Southern California’s most prestigious performing arts conservatories. Years later, he came back as a faculty member. That full-circle moment captures something essential about who David is: someone who doesn’t just teach musical theatre, but who has lived every layer of it.

Over more than 25 years, David has held the baton at some of the region’s most storied stages, directed productions that made history as regional premieres, and shaped the vocal and artistic identities of hundreds of students. His career has ranged from the grandeur of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to the intimacy of a master class, from the OCSA Gala stage shared with Broadway luminaries to the rehearsal room of a college conservatory.

As Executive Director of Arts at a network of performing arts high schools, he didn’t just teach — he built an entire institution from the ground up. He hired faculty, wrote A–G college preparatory curriculum, and led a new campus through full institutional accreditation. That breadth of experience — from one student in a practice room to the accreditation of an entire school — is what makes David’s perspective genuinely unique.

Today, David holds a Master of Arts in Musical Theatre Writing & Production from Berklee College of Music’s New York City campus (The Power Station), and a Bachelor of Arts in Songwriting & Music Production from Berklee. He currently serves as accompanist for musical theatre classes at South Coast Repertory Conservatory, teaches privately from his Long Beach studio, and continues developing his own original musicals — including Angel’s Playhouse and Gold Diggers, both currently in development.

His students come to him at every stage — aspiring middle schoolers, college students preparing audition packets, and working professionals looking to go deeper. What they all find is a teacher who knows exactly where the bar is set — because he’s been the one holding it for decades.