See Schedules ------------------------ on television on radio on television webcast on digital tv Explore Topics ------------------------ news & public affairs arts & culture njn kids education Opera New Jersey State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz takes a look at Opera New Jersey’s (formerly the New Jersey Opera Theater) semi-staged performance of Guiseppi Verdi’s last opera, “Falstaff” in this 2006 story. Verdi came out of retirement at the age of 80 to write the opera, widely regarded as one of greatest comic operas ever written. It was inspired by his friend Arigo Boito’s libretto, largely based on Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” With “Falstaff,” Verdi integrated the orchestra into the drama in new and more integral ways. Opera New Jersey’s mission is to present outstanding professional opera featuring emerging singers, conductors and directors. As a professional opera singer himself, artistic director Scott Altman took particular care in selecting singers best suited to the intensive ensemble demands of “Falstaff” and says that this ensemble approach is one of the important ways the young company is distinguishing itself. also visit www.Opera-NJ.org         Faith Ringgold, artist World-renowned artist and writer Faith Ringgold discusses her evolution as an artist and the influence her mother had on her art in this 1998 interview.         PLOrk (Princeton Laptop Orchestra) PLOrk (a rough acronym for Princeton Laptop Orchestra) is comprised of musicians whose instruments are laptop computers. PLOrk is directed by Dan Trueman and Perry Cook, professors at Princeton University with extensive careers in both musical and computer programming.         Maestro Neeme Järvi Maestro Neeme Järvi, one of the most celebrated and recorded conductors of our time, takes his final bow as the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director. State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz profiles Järvi, his musicians and colleagues in this 2004 interview, and captures behind-the-scenes footage from rehearsals and concerts.         Rosanne Cash, Singer/Songwriter Rosanne Cash grew up in the spotlight of her father, the legendary singer Johnny Cash. Rosanne reflects on her upbringing, her artistic development, and her own emergence as one of America's best known singer/songwriters. In this 2004 interview, Rosanne talks about her approach to motherhood (she has four children) and her children's book, "Penelope Jane," which she wrote for one of her daughters.         Willie Cole Renowned New Jersey artist Willie Cole is featured in “Provocative Visions: Race and Identity,” an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Willie Cole discusses his early artistic influences and the inspiration behind his sculpture and prints, many of which track his distinctive Newark, New Jersey heritage, movingly melding social, political, and cultural perspectives of urban African-American experience.         Roxey Ballet State of the Arts featured the company in a 2007 Emmy Award winning story. “The Body You Have” goes with dancers from the Roxey Ballet Company as they work with dancers with disabilities through the Matheny Medical and Education Center’s Arts Access Program.         The Nutcracker The American Repertory Ballet’s performance of “The Nutcracker” is a holiday classic. This State of the Arts story from December 2000 is a behind the scenes look, revealing sketches, props, dressers and last minute fixes – you can almost smell the greasepaint.         McCoy Tyner Grammy Award winning jazz musician McCoy Tyner in a 1995 interview with State of the Arts host Amber Edwards.         Tom Malloy Tom Malloy, (1912-2008), was a Trenton-based artist who began his career as a painter at an age when most people are thinking of retiring. State of the Arts visited Malloy in his studio in 1997.         Jazz Room Music, memories, photographs and all that jazz are highlighted in this State of the Arts Jazz Room at William Paterson University segment. The Jazz Room at William Paterson University is the longest running campus-based jazz concert series in the nation.         B.D. Wong, actor Tony award winning actor, B.D. Wong in a 1994 interview with State of the Arts host Amber Edwards. Wong discusses his love of performing live, his emergence as an Asian American actor after receiving the Tony in 1988 for M. Butterfly (with John Lithgow); and the controversy that arose when Wong and other minority actors protested the hiring of non-Asians in Miss Saigon, on Broadway.         Andy Bey, jazz singer Andy Bey, Jazz Journalist Association 2008 Male Singer of the Year, has been singing for more than fifty years and today finds himself at the pinnacle of his career.         Elsie Driggs, painter Elsie Driggs (1898-1992) first became known as a painter for her “precisionist” works, a style that expressed the optimism of the machine age. However, through her long career (much of it spent in Lambertville, New Jersey) Driggs also painted plant life, animals, and created illustrations for folk tales.         Marian McPartland, jazz pianist March 20, 2008 marks the 90th birthday of one of the jazz world's living legends-- the indefatigable Marian McPartland. She released her first studio CD in 9 years, “Twilight World”, on March 11, 2008 from Concord Records. For almost 30 years, Marian has hosted her acclaimed weekly radio show, Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz for NPR. In 1995, she visited State of the Arts to talk about her career as one of the first women in jazz. She also improvised on the State of the Arts opening theme (during the 1990s), which she composed. also visit Marian McPartland on NPR: www.npr.org         Pilobolus Pilobolus had its origins in a small dance class at Dartmouth College in 1971, where dancers first experimented with a unique weight-sharing approach to choreography. Since then, the group has evolved, but its members still choreograph, dance, manage, and publicize their own programs. Pilobolus is a phenomenon, continuing to gain in popularity – as evidenced by appearances on the 2006 Oscars, Oprah, and 60 Minutes. In 1996, State of the Arts visited Pilobolus at their home base in Connecticut. also visit www.pilobolus.com         W. Carl Burger, artist Carl Burger of Califon, New Jersey is a man of both principle and experimentation. A master of mixed media, his works range from simple graphite to incorporating elements, like bronze, as his “manuscript series”.         Noborigama Kiln In Elmer, New Jersey you can find a remarkable 3-chambered, wood-fired, Japanese-style "Noborigama" kiln, jointly designed and built by the Perkins Center for the Arts and Appel Farm Arts and Music Center. Built in 2001, the kiln is fired 12 to 14 times a year - and each time, it's a community project as the stacking and firing take days. Every year, the Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown holds a Pottery Show and Sale featuring creations straight from the Noborigama kiln. In 2003, State of the Arts followed the process of preparing, loading and firing the kiln over three weekends.         Susan Werner, singer/songwriter Susan Werner didn’t expect to become a singer/songwriter when she went to Philadelphia to study classical voice at Temple University. However, she was inspired to craft her own songs and has since found her niche in the musical world.         Paul Stankard, glass artist Paul Stankard has redefined the art of the glass paperweight. From a background in technical glass blowing, he went on to create his own world of nature in glass, which has to be seen to be believed. Based in South Jersey, Stankard and his studio team create works that are exhibited and sold throughout the world. His new autobiography is No Green Berries Or Leaves - The Creative Journey Of An Artist In Glass. In 1988, State of the Arts visited Stankard at his studio and took a walk with him in the woods where he continues to find inspiration. also visit Paul Stankard’s website: www.paulstankard.com         Richie Havens, singer/songwriter Richie Havens began his career in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the late 1960s. His unique voice has inspired and entertained audiences ever since, from the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair in 1969, to the Clinton Presidential Inauguration in 1993, to international tours today. In 1999 – the 30th anniversary of Woodstock – he gave a performance on the set of State of the Arts, and talked about his life and music. also visit Richie Havens’ website: www.richiehavens.com         Rossen Milanov, conductor Rossen Milanov has been hailed as “one who bears watching by anyone who cares about the future of music” (Chicago Tribune). In April 2001, Milanov was in his first year with The Haddonfield Symphony, and State of the Arts caught up with him to find out more about the life of a rising young conductor.         Harold Olejarz, artist Harold Olejarz was trained as a sculptor. He made the transition to performance art when he realized that if he ‘was’ the art, then he could install his work anywhere. From 1985-1995, Olejarz traveled the world in his wearable sculpture suits, creating installations wherever he went. Now his work has transformed again, into the digital realm. Recent pieces by Olejarz can be seen at the Noyes Museum of Art in the New Jersey Arts Annual, featuring work by 40 artists from around the state. also visit www.olejarz.com         Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano The renowned mezzo-soprano, Frederica von Stade, or “Flicka,” as she’s called, was not yet born when her father was killed in WWII. His funny, moving letters home from the front were the basis for poems set to music by Richard Danielpour and sung by Flicka. As shown in this 1999 State of the Arts story, the songs are heartbreakingly personal: Flicka admits she has been searching for her father her whole life. Somerset County native Frederica von Stade appeared with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in June, 2007, in a benefit for the Somerset Medical Center – the same hospital where she was born on June 1, 1945. also visit www.fredericavonstade.com • www.njsymphony.org         Bill Charlap, jazz pianist Grammy-nominated pianist/bandleader (and Summit, NJ resident) Bill Charlap has been called his generation's jazz piano standard bearer. Watch a 2006 State of the Arts profile of Charlap.         Richard Ford, author In 1996, Richard Ford published his novel “Independece Day,” which became the first book to win both the Pulitzer and the PEN/Faulkner Award. It was Ford’s second book about a New Jersey realtor, Frank Bascombe. “Independence Day” was called by The Times of London, "an extraordinary epic [that] is nothing less than the story of the twentieth century itself." In October 2006, Ford published the long-awaited third installment of Bascombe’s story, “The Lay of the Land”. Watch this State of the Arts story from 1996 to hear from the author himself about his novels and to visit many of the New Jersey locales from “Independence Day”.         Maynard Ferguson, jazz trumpeter (1928-2006) Maynard Ferguson, the popular bebop jazz trumpeter and bandleader, died August 24th in Ventura, California. His career of over 60 years was given a boost by an appearance in 1950 on the Ed Sullivan show. In the 1960s, Ferguson toured India, and played versions of hits by Stevie Wonder and the Beatles. In 1977, his version of “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the movie “Rocky,” was nominated for a Grammy. Recent tours, including a six-night booking in July at the Blue Note in New York, were sold out. In November 2000, Maynard Ferguson and his 9 piece Big Bop Nouveau Band appeared on the set of State of the Arts, playing “You Got It” and “Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing”.       "Digital King" (2004) by LiQin Tan digital rawhide print, 48”x60”   Artists Antonio Puri and LiQin Tan This story about animator LiQin Tan and painter Antonio Puri aired on Wired, a recent episode of State of the Arts. Antonio Puri creates large-scale paintings. LiQin Tan specializes in 3-D animation. As State of the Arts producer Christopher Benincasa discovered, when these two unlikely artists collaborate – using laptops, video projectors and lots of canvas – the result is a work that appears to be teeming with life – or at least artificial intelligence.         Isaac Witkin, Abstract metal sculptor State of the Arts remembers Isaac Witkin, an artist known for his monumental organic metal sculpture: he died on April 23, 2006 at age 69. Witkin was a South African native who studied art in London, worked as an assistant to Henry Moore, and made a name for himself with young Brits in the mid-1960s art world. He later taught in America, settling on a 22-acre blueberry farm in Pemberton, New Jersey in 1987. State of the Arts featured Witkin in a 1994 story, where he discusses his love of sculpture and the challenges of translating his bronzes into the medium of stone (for a special commission, “Eolith”). also visit www.isaacwitkin.com NJN Home | Television | Radio | Community | Support NJN | Store | Watch Online | Listen Online TV Schedules | News & Public Affairs | Arts & Culture | NJN Kids | Education | About | Feedback | Contact Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Copyright © 1996-2009. NJN Public Television and Radio, all rights reserved.