OCTOBER 2026

Home for the Holidays

Join us for our annual Home for the Holidays concert on Sunday, December 20. For the first time ever, this very special event will be hosted on campus in NOCCA's Lupin Hall!

Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, kicks off the night, followed by none other than Kermit Ruffins. Afterward, celebrated alumni like Courtney Bryan, Gladney and "Big Sam" Williams join current student River Eckert to honor the music legends who've taught them at NOCCA.

Tickets and info are now available at HomeForTheHolidaysNOLA.com. Proceeds support the Daniel Price Memorial Fund for Aspiring Artists, named for NOCCA alum Daniel Price (Visual Arts, 1993).

Arts classes for adults!

Our first fall arts classes for adults were a huge hit! We have four more to go -- which one is right for you?

• Tap on Tap with Blake Coheley
• Natural Fabric Dyes with the Foraging Florist
• Sip and Stitch Ornaments with Anna Donnell
• Wigging Out with Ulla Gaudin JUST SOLD OUT!

November 7: NOCCA's Open Studio

If you know someone who wants to apply to NOCCA for the 2027-28 school year, invite them to Open Studio on Saturday, November 7, from 9am-noon. They'll be able to tour the campus and learn all about the audition process.

Open Studio is free and open to the public. No reservations are necessary. We'll see you there!

P.S. NOCCA's application for 2027-28 is now live. Click here to complete yours!

Student events this fall

Make plans to attend these great student performances and look for details soon at NOCCA.com:

Winter Dance Concert

December 10-11 in the Nims Black Box

Presented by the Dance department

Winter Music Concerts

December 15, throughout campus

Presented by Classical, Jazz, and Vocal Music departments

In memoriam: Paul Werner

Paul Werner was a devoted, talented, boundlessly enthusiastic teacher who helped shape the lives of countless young artists. Please join us as we say a very fond farewell to Paul at a memorial service on Sunday, November 15, from 12pm-3pm at Ben Franklin High School (2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans).

NOCCA alumni updates

This week, John Michael Bradford (Jazz, 2015) released a new single that he calls an "homage to D'Angelo". You'll hear Bradford on Flugelhorn, DeVaughn Durham on tenor sax, and Morgan Burrs from Butcher Brown on guitar. Now streaming on Bandcamp and other platforms!

NOCCA alumni: Send your updates to alumni@noccafoundation.org!

Let us host your next event!

Are you planning a meet-up, pop-up, or wedding? Check out our beautiful event spaces by clicking here. We have a variety of spaces to suit your needs.

And remember: Your rental fees support Louisiana's next generation of artists and leaders!

NOCCA Foundation | 2800 Chartres Street | New Orleans, LA 70117

504-940-2900 | NOCCAFoundation.org

The NOCCA Foundation is NOCCA's nonprofit partner.

This newsletter is sponsored by ThirtyNorth Investments

This newsletter is also sponsored by The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com

You can use Facebook for fundraising!

If you use Facebook, you can raise funds for NOCCA's young artists! Tap the link below and start your own fundraiser to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or just because!