Leah Partridge, a rising opera star from Lincolnton, will be featured on Georgia Public Broadcasting's (GPB) award-winning quarterly arts program, "State of the Arts."

The first new episode of 2008 is set to premiere Wednesday, January 30, at 9 p.m. The program will be rebroadcast on Friday, February 1, at 10 p.m. and midnight; Saturday, February 2, at 1 a.m.; Sunday, February 3, at 11 p.m.; and Saturday, February 9, at 2 a.m.

During her segment on the show, Partridge, who was interviewed by executive producer Pamela Roberts, talks about growing up in Lincolnton and how she inherited her love of singing from her grandmother. She is also shown performing "Summertime" by George Gershwin and "Sempre Libera" from Verdi's "La Traviatta" at the GPB studios in Atlanta with Craig Kier, esteemed accompanist for the Atlanta Opera.

According to Roberts, "When you meet Leah, you think here is a beautiful girl, who could be in the movies, but she's so down to earth and natural, she doesn't seem like a star. She certainly doesn't act like an operatic diva - she's like the girl next door."

The executive producer went on to say, "The minute Leah opened her mouth and started to sing in our studio, the members of the crew, who have heard everything, just stopped in their tracks and became totally quiet. Then, when she finished singing, they burst into spontaneous applause, which has never happened before during the recording of a music segment.

"Leah is a huge talent and will go as far as she wants to go in the world of opera."

In March, Partridge is scheduled to make her Metropolitan Opera debut as the First Niece in a new production of Britten's "Peter Grimes." Fortunately for family and friends, the opera is part of the Metropolitan's new series that is being aired in movie theaters across the county and the world.

"Peter Grimes" can be seen locally on Saturday, March 15, at the Augusta Exchange 20. For the curtain time, call 1-706-667-9713. The live performance can likewise be viewed on the cable channel "On Demand."

For more information about the opera, visit the Metropolitan Opera's website at www.metopera.org.

Partridge is the daughter of Irvin and Jan Partridge of Lincolnton and the granddaughter of Melvin and Etheridge Partridge, also of Lincolnton, and the late Fortson and Janet Scott.

In addition to Partridge, the new GPB "State of the Arts" episode will include segments on "Art from the Heart," a unique project started by three Atlanta portrait artists that uses the healing power of art to reach out to the families of Georgia soldiers who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan; the music and majesty of some of the finest pipe organs in Atlanta; Susan Booth, the artistic director for Atlanta's Alliance Theatre; the Echo Project, a music festival dedicated to raising environmental awareness; and the White County premiere of "Headwaters," a new folk musical that captures life in northeast Georgia.