Clara Rottsolk

Clara Rottsolk

The Dryden Ensemble returns with its new artistic director, Daniel Swenberg, in a program entitled “Baroque Passion: Musical Meditations on Holy Week,” on Saturday, April 19 at 4 p.m. at the Princeton Theological Seminary Chapel, 64 Mercer Street. Admission is free.

The ensemble will complete its Phoenix Season with a program of musical contemplations on themes of Holy Week. The program features soprano Clara Rottsolk and gambist Arnie Tanimoto, who will join Dryden regulars Daniel Swenberg (artistic director/lutes), Lisa Terry (viola da gamba), and Webb Wiggins (chamber organ).

Rottsolk specializes in historically informed performance practice, singing with the American Bach Soloists, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Colorado Bach Ensemble, Trinity Wall Street Choir, and Seraphic Fire. She has performed at the Carmel Bach Festival, Philadelphia Bach Festival, and Boston Early Music Festival. A native of Seattle, Rottsolk earned music degrees at Rice University and Westminster Choir Collegeand was awarded recognition for musical excellence by the Metropolitan Opera National Council. Currently she is based in Philadelphia and teaches voice at Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr Colleges. more

The musical riches of 18th-century Dublin will be surveyed in a concert with commentary entitled “Beyond the Fanlight — Music in Georgian Dublin” on Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m. at the Center for Modern Aging. The event is hosted by the English-Speaking Union, Princeton Branch, 101 Poor Farm Road.

The performers are the Practitioners of Musick, with John Burkhalter playing English and small flutes, and Sheldon Eldridge, harpsichordist.

“Concert-going in Dublin in the 18th century was very much part of the social life in the Irish capital,” reads a release about the event. “And despite its location on the periphery of Europe, Dublin boasted a surprisingly active musical life in the 18th century. The Irish capital attracted a number of renowned musicians, including Geminiani, Arne, and Handel. An illustrated overview of Dublin by John Burkhalter will complement the musical performance.”  more

WINNING PIANISTS: The winners of the Westminster Conservatory Piano Concerto Competition are, from left, Caelan Costello, Vito Cottone, and Joanna Hou. The three young musicians will perform at the Conservatory’s Showcase on May 4 at Richardson Auditorium.

On Sunday, May 4 at 3 p.m., Westminster Conservatory presents the Westminster Conservatory Showcase in a concert at Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton University campus.

On the program are the Westminster Community Orchestra conducted by Ruth Ochs, the Rider University Chorale conducted by Tom Shelton, and piano duo Phyllis Alpert Lehrer and Ena Bronstein Barton.

Also performing are Honors Music Program vocal soloists, and the winners of the Conservatory Piano Concerto Competition. Tickets at $15 and $20 are available at the door, online at tickets.princeton.edu, or by calling (609) 258-9220.

STAND-UP STAR: Mark Normand brings his comedy routines to the State Theatre in New Brunswick on April 25.

State Theatre New Jersey presents Mark Normand: Ya Don’t Say on Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$159.75.

Dubbed by Jerry Seinfeld as the “best young up-and-coming comic,” Normand has a growing reputation for his comedy acts. His 2023 one-hour Netflix special, Soup to Nuts, was a staple in the streamers’ Top 10 for several weeks. This follows Normand’s self-released special, 2020’s Out to Lunch, which amassed over 12 million views on YouTube. more

Niall Jones
(Photo by Heather Cromartie)

Interdisciplinary artists Niall Jones and Tamara Santibañez have been named Princeton University Arts Fellows for 2025-2027 by the Lewis Center for the Arts and will begin two years of teaching and community collaboration at the University in September. The two artists were selected by faculty from more than 800 applicants in creative writing, dance, music, theater, and the visual arts.

The Arts Fellows program of the Lewis Center provides support for early-career artists who have demonstrated both extraordinary promise and a record of achievement in their fields with the opportunity to further their work while teaching within a liberal arts context. Fellows are selected for a two-year residency to teach a course each semester or to undertake an artistic assignment that deeply engages undergraduate students, such as directing a play, conducting a musical ensemble, or choreographing a dance piece. Fellows are expected to be active members of the University’s intellectual and artistic community while in residence, and in return, they are provided with the resources and spaces necessary for their work.  more

FAMILY FRIENDLY: “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE” plays two shows at State Theatre New Jersey on April 26.

State Theatre New Jersey presents “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE” on Saturday, April 26 at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$59.

Based on Jim Henson’s award-winning Apple TV+ original series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, recipient of this year’s Emmy for Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series, this all-new, family-friendly live stage show will feature new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their gearhead friends the Doozers, and visits from a giant Gorg , as well as new puppet creature friends — all built by Henson’s Creature Shop. more

ActorsNET invites audiences to experience a fresh perspective on Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House at The Heritage Center Theatre in Morrisville, Pa., May 2-18.

Adapted by Maryalice and Hayley Rubins-Topoleski, this reimagining sets the classic drama in Philadelphia during the 1960s. A Doll’s House tells the story of Nora Helmer (Cat Milone), who appears to have it all: a comfortable suburban home, a successful husband, and adorable children. But beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect 1960s life lies a secret that threatens to shatter her carefully constructed world. As the truth unravels, Nora is forced to confront the limitations placed upon her as a woman and make a radical choice that will change her life forever. more

Princeton University senior Clara Toujas, front, and the cast of her new work “entre moi et nous,” one of two dance pieces to be performed April 17-19 at 8:30 p.m. in the Hearst Dance Theater in the Lewis Arts complex on the campus. The second work is by senior Faith Wangermann. Admission is free. Visit arts.princeton.edu for more information. (Photo by Emily Tang)

“NUMBER 40”: This photograph by Harold Stetson won Best in Show at this year’s “Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition,” on view through April 18 at Phillips’ Mill in New Hope, Pa.

About two hundred attendees recently gathered for the artists’ reception that opened the Phillips’ Mill Community Association’s 32nd annual “Photographic Exhibition.”

Showcasing 150 contemporary works across many genres, from portraiture to nature to abstraction, the 2025 “Phillips’ Mill Photographic Exhibition” was selected by a panel of three jurors: Jennifer King, an internationally acclaimed landscape and fine-art photographer; Kristen King, a veteran photography instructor in Bucks County, Pa., high schools; and Nora Odendahl, co-chair of the Phillips’ Mill Photo Committee, whose members are responsible for putting on the exhibition. more

Leo Vayn

Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie will present two public programs as part of its exhibition “Cultural Connections: Eastern European Artists of Greater Trenton,” which is on view through June 8.

An afternoon with photographer and filmmaker Leo Vayn will screen and discuss Vayn’s documentary The Road to Krasnostav on Sunday, May 4, at 2 p.m. Produced by the Soviet Russia-born Vayn, the film examines one family’s personal journey through the former Jewish shtetl in Krasnostav, Ukraine, to reconnect with a past that saw the town’s Jewish population executed by the Nazis in 1941. Vayn, of Princeton, is a businessperson and entrepreneur who has dedicated himself to photography and the Tsal Kaplun Foundation, created to preserve Jewish culture and heritage in the former Soviet Union. He is among the 10 area artists with artwork showcased in “Cultural Connections.” Admission is $5 at the door (free for museum members).

“Sorrow & Joy: Ukrainian Art Songs” is planned for Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m. This exploration of Ukrainian classical music will include works by Mykola Lysenko, who is considered the father of Ukrainian classical music; Kyrylo Stetsenko, one of Ukraine’s most prolific and important 20th century artists; Vasyl Barvinsky, Ukraine’s first internationally known composer; and Stefania Turkewich, Ukraine’s first female composer. Admission is a suggested donation of $5. more

Artworks Trenton, the city’s nonprofit visual art center, has unveiled an ambitious project to reshape the urban landscape and redefine pedestrian experiences in Trenton. In collaboration with a coalition of nonprofit organizations and local and state government partners, Artworks has announced Phase 1 of the Trenton Artwalk: the commissioning of a public art mural to animate the Route 1/129 underpass.

The proposed mural, a permanent artistic transformation of the underpass’s north wall along Market Street, marks the initial step in creating a visually captivating and pedestrian-friendly Artwalk connecting the Trenton Transit Center with downtown Trenton. This project aims to foster a safer, more inviting passage while promoting healthy living and public transit use among residents, commuters, and visitors. more

“MOTHER”: This oil on canvas painting by Jessie Krause is on view in an exhibit also featuring works by her mother, Sylvette de Aldrey Krause, at Tipple & Rose. A reception is this Thursday, April 17, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Sylvette de Aldrey Krause, originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Jessie Krause, from Princeton — mother and daughter, respectively — are showing their paintings together at Tipple & Rose, 210 Nassau Street. A reception is this Thursday, April 17, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Sylvette began showing her work in Princeton in the mid-1960s with shows at the Nassau Club, Gallery 100, the Present Day Club, and other venues around the country. She studied painting at the Whitney School of Art and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Spain. Sylvette’s artwork was influenced by her Spanish heritage, using oils and pastels to create textures, strong lines, and rich earthen colors. more

Princeton Makes, a Princeton-based artist cooperative, will ring in the spring with its semi-annual Art at Night, an evening art making party, on Saturday, April 19 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. The party will take place at its artist studios and art market in the Princeton Shopping Center, 301 North Harrison Street.

Art at Night will be an evening of creativity and community featuring live model drawing sessions (with supplies provided), a collaborative community art project, hands-on creative activities for all ages, artist demonstrations, live music by goodfellow, a raffle of Princeton Makes artists’ work, and more. Refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public, though a $10 per person donation is requested and appreciated. more

County Executive Dan Benson has invited seniors throughout Mercer County to submit artwork to the 2025 Mercer County Senior Citizen Art Show (MCSAS), to be held this summer.

A joint project of the County’s Division of Culture and Heritage and its Office on Aging, the show is open to all Mercer County residents 60 or older. The show will be on display from July 1 through August 4 at the Conference Center at Mercer — located on the campus of Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor.

“The annual Senior Art Show is a spectacular display of the creativity and talent of Mercer County residents,” said Benson. “I’m proud that we’re continuing this beloved event, and I can’t wait to stop by and see the artwork for myself.” more

TELLING STORIES: Philadelphia Ballet has announced its 2025-2026 season, which includes a new take on “Romeo and Juliet” by Juliano Nunes.

Philadelphia Ballet has announced its 2025/26 season, a mix of full-length classics and new works to be performed at the Academy of Music.

The season opens with Angel Corella’s Carmen October 9-12, and continues with “Evening of Horror: Antony Tudor’s Fall River Legend and Juliano Nunes’ new Valley of Death October 16-19. Next is Balanchine’s The Nutcracker December 5-31, followed by Ronald Hynd’s version of The Merry Widow March 5-15. Nunes’ new production of Romeo and Juliet closes the season April 30-May 10. more

ON MCCARTER STAGE: Momix, the contemporary dance troupe, returns to McCarter with “Alice,” inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland,” as part of the upcoming season of performances. (Photo by Sharen Bradford)

McCarter Theatre Center has unveiled its 2025-2026 subscription season, featuring a lineup of theater, music, and dance.

The theater season opens with the world premiere, commissioned by McCarter, of I and You: The Musical, based on Lauren Gunderson’s award-winning play, with a new score by Ari Afsar and direction by McCarter Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen. Other highlights include 300 Paintings, the award-winning off-Broadway solo show by comedian-turned-artist Sam Kissajukian; Kim’s Convenience, the comedy that inspired the hit Netflix series; Circus Quixote from Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre; and the mystery-comedy Mrs. Christie, marking the McCarter directorial debut of BOLD Associate Artistic Director Donya K. Washington. more

Taoufik Ben Amor

The Nakashima Foundation For Peace will hold its 2025 peace concert, “Many Paths to the Divine — Devotional Music from the Indian and Arab Traditions: A Concert of Mystical Sounds and Shared Devotion” on Sunday, April 27 from 2-5 p.m., featuring musicians Gaurav Shah and Taoufik Ben Amor, in the Nakashima Arts Building, 1847 Aquetong Road, New Hope, Pa.

This concert supports the mission of the Nakashima Foundation for Peace, to build Sacred Peace Tables for each continent, and to preserve both the legacy of George Nakashima, a leading innovator of 20th century furniture design, and the National Historic Landmark designated Nakashima Property for future generations.

The performance will explore meeting points where different languages, spiritual and mystical traditions use the same metaphors of love and intoxication. Shah and Amor have been making music together for more than two decades. This artistic collaboration, a contemporary manifestation of harmony between musical and spiritual traditions from centuries past, serves as a role-model for world peace in the future.  more

“BARREL RACER” This photograph by Ron Tarver is featured in “The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America,” on view in The Pennington School’s Silva Gallery of Art through June 6. A gallery talk and book signing are on April 15 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

On view through June 6, The Pennington School’s Silva Gallery of Art now presents “The Long Ride Home: Black Cowboys in America.” The exhibition showcases the work of acclaimed photographer Ron Tarver, who will also host a gallery talk and book signing on Tuesday, April 15, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Tarver, who is an art professor at Swarthmore College, corrects the American cowboy narrative with the publication of his work. From ranches to city streets, his photographs reveal the beauty, romance, and visual poetry of Black cowboys throughout the country. more

“MOONSARAZ”: This photograph by Martin Schwartz is featured in “Places I’ve Been, Faces I’ve Seen,” on view through May 4 at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell.

The Goodkind Gallery at Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography in Hopewell features the work of Martin Schwartz of Cranbury in “Places I’ve Been, Faces I’ve Seen,” on view through May 4.

According to the gallery, “a photographer never wants to stop seeing and shooting images. However, sometimes physical restrictions prevent our ability to get out and take new works. When this happens, we sometimes look back at previous works. That is the case with this exhibit. Martin has looked back into his expansive portfolio of work and is reimagining shots using new processing and more powerful software to create new images. Some of the shots have never been processed or exhibited before. Others are works previously shown but now reworked. Some are even from slides which he then had to scan so they could be worked on for this exhibit.” more

Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton has received a $25,726 FY25 Cultural Trust Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grant from the New Jersey Cultural Trust. This new funding helps support installing a professional database with informational signage for GFS’ living horticulture collection that will include tagging, cataloging and tracking vital specimen history, health, and locations at the sculpture park. As the first grant awarded to GFS’ horticultural department, this support underscores the vital role that horticulture represents at the 42-acre nonprofit, which became a Level II Arboretum by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum in 2024.

“This significant grant funding allows us to implement this new database system that will help our team manage the extraordinary living collection at Grounds For Sculpture,” said Janis Napoli, Grounds For Sculpture’s director of horticulture. “We are excited to enhance our ability to document, track, and care for our horticultural specimens, ensuring that future generations can continue to experience and learn from the ever-evolving landscape in our gardens. We are grateful to the New Jersey Cultural Trust for their support in advancing our mission.”

GFS recognizes the importance of retaining institutional knowledge about the park’s creation and its specimens, along with plant updates and the management of specialized collections, such as the deciduous conifer collection. A catalog system supported by this grant will house much of this information and assist in the daily management of the organization’s vast gardens. The sculpture park will install a professional garden database and associated tools and develop a process to maintain and create new records for existing specimens and a protocol for documenting new additions to the living collection.  more

CLAUDE WINN EXHIBITION: Works by local artist Claude Winn are on view April 10 through May 15 at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors, 253 Nassau Street. An opening reception is on April 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, Realtors presents a new exhibition of abstract artwork by local artist Claude Winn, on view through May 15. An opening reception is on Thursday, April 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 253 Nassau Street.

The exhibition showcases 11 of Winn’s distinctive abstract paintings, paying tribute to artists who greatly influence her work, including Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler.  more