July 2, 2026

A letter from Women’s Guild President, Kate Dowling Ferg

Ladies:

Welcome to the Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera Association.   

As I’m sure many of you are aware, the New Orleans Opera is going through a period of many changes and challenges.  As the Opera Association works to plan for the 2026-2027 season, the Women’s Guild has taken this as an opportunity to do our part to help ensure the continuation of Opera in New Orleans. In practical terms this means that your participation in, and support for, the events of the Guild is as important, if not more important, than it has ever been.  It’s also likely that we will be asked to assist the Opera Association in a variety of ways, including volunteering for their events.

Your officers are working hard planning a large number of events that are music-focused, fun and will enable us to raise enough money to continue to preserve the wonderful Guild Home and financially contribute to the Opera this year.

We will continue to host a Past President’s Tea, the Holiday Egg Nogg party and boutique in our beautifully decorated Home, the Annual meeting and Tea as well as our annual Mad Hatter’s luncheon.   Home tours will continue, and the education committee will continue to inform and feed us, although the format may be somewhat different without a full Opera season.   

In addition, we are excited to announce that our Salon Series, which we initiated last year, has become our Emerging Artists Series, focusing on emerging artists from local schools and our community.  We will be opening the home to regular Mah Jong get togethers and will have periodic “Happy Hours” with food and entertainment, although not necessarily opera. The first of these will be a “Spritz and Sparkle” party on July 17 to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday.  We also will begin renting the Guild Home for private events which we have not done in several years.  

This may sound like an ambitious schedule of events, and it is.  It will only be possible with the help of a lot of people, but I am sure there is a job that will suit the talents of everyone. If you have ever thought that you would like to be more active in the Guild, try new things and make new friends, now is the time.  We need you!

Fortunately, we have this new website, www.nolaoperaguild.org, which will help you keep up with all the Guild’s activities.  The website not only contains an Events Calendar so you don’t miss anything, but also the option to purchase tickets directly online.   

I hope if you have been a member, you will continue and hopefully become more active.  If you haven’t been a member or have let your membership lapse, now is the time to join us as we work together to ensure the continuation of Opera in New Orleans,

Looking forward to seeing you, 

Kate Dowling Ferg 

President, Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera Association