Welcome to 2026-27!

Dear UNCSA Students,

Welcome to the official start of the new academic year! I hope you all had restful and creative summers, however you spent them.

To our nearly 500 incoming students, from high school to undergraduate to graduate: Congrats on becoming a Fighting Pickle! We know this is a dream come true for so many of you, and you have worked hard to get here. This is just the start of your journey, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will do along the way.

For those who don’t know me yet, I’m Brian Cole, and I have been Chancellor of UNCSA since 2020. You will hear from me by email from time to time throughout the year, in addition to connecting on campus, in the dining hall, at performances and more. I am an artist myself, with degrees in bassoon performance and conducting. Before becoming UNCSA’s ninth Chancellor, I was Dean of the School of Music for three years. I love UNCSA, its people and its purpose, and I am passionate about leading our institution to be the best it can be for our students, faculty and staff. UNCSA is often described as a “crown jewel” in our state, and I am proud to help carry forward its legacy of training generations of artists like you who enrich our world.

There is so much to look forward to this year, and I want to be sure you have a few things on your calendar for this week and coming soon:

• Party on the Plaza, Monday, Aug. 24, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Please join me, faculty, staff and your peers for this annual welcome party on Daniels Plaza. We will welcome all students back for the new academic year, with booths from campus and community partners and a cookout-style dinner to get the year started off right.

• Arts and Emerging Technology Student Forum, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 6-7 p.m.: Student Body President Kiley Mullins and I will moderate a forum in Eisenberg Social Hall, open to all students, to discuss concerns, thoughts and opinions on the impact of emerging technologies such as AI on the arts. I know this is a subject artists feel passionate about, and I look forward to engaging with you around this complicated topic. You can read more about UNCSA’s work regarding its approach to AI in my message from last week.

• UNCSA Presents season begins, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m.: The 2026-27 season of UNCSA Presents, our performance series created by and starring many of you, opens tomorrow with an exciting guest artist performance, “Music for Two: Bass and Banjo” in Watson Hall. Double bassist Craig Butterfield and banjo phenom Max Allard present a genre-spanning program of original works and music inspired by Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck’s groundbreaking “Music for Two.” For those of you who don’t know, UNCSA is launching the American Roots Music Institute, one of the nation’s first conservatory-level programs dedicated to comprehensive professional training in American roots music. This concert offers a great example of what that training demands: the technical artistry, versatility and musical fluency to move seamlessly across folk, bluegrass, jazz and classical traditions.
  
  And that’s just the beginning of a season that includes more than 100 performances, screenings, recitals and more – all free for students to attend. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to see as much as possible, across all disciplines. You may not have quite this same opportunity again after your time here! Take a moment to learn about the complimentary ticket process and policy, and I look forward to seeing you and your work behind the scenes and on the stage and screen at performances throughout the year.

• Intermission, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8:30-10:30 a.m.: This Wednesday is the academic year’s first Intermission, a midweek moment to help you breathe, catch up on homework, chat with a friend or whatever else you need. While exhilarating, we also know that the work at UNCSA can be demanding. This fall, we are initiating our new Integrated Schedule, which includes several moments like Intermission that can help you rest, reset or explore opportunities outside your arts discipline. We will also have two Student Wellness Days and four Bridge Days this year (visit the Academic Calendar for dates) to build in time to recharge and pursue personal creative opportunities and interdisciplinary collaboration.

• UNCSA Take 5ive! Night at the Dash, Saturday, Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m.: This new tradition brings together students, faculty and staff for a night of minor league baseball and fun at Winston-Salem’s own Truist Stadium. For those of you who are new to this city, one of my favorite activities is attending Dash games at this beautiful park (for anyone who follows baseball, the number one MLB draft pick for 2026, Roch Cholowsky, is currently on the Dash roster!). It’s a great opportunity to show Winston-Salem our one-of-a-kind Pickle spirit! I’ll be throwing out the first pitch, A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute student Darby Schmidt will sing the National Anthem, and your free ticket includes dinner, access to the Dash’s Harry Potter™ experiences and the end-of-game fireworks.

• UNCSA’s Homecoming: Family and Alumni Weekend 2026 is Sept. 25-27, a Pickle tradition filled with performances, special events, engaging conversations and meaningful opportunities to connect with the artists and innovators who make UNCSA extraordinary. You are welcome to attend many of the events at no cost, connect with alumni and peers, and invite your family back to campus. Homecoming also offers a sneak peek at the amazing network of artists you will join upon graduation from UNCSA, and the opportunities that will continue beyond your time here. You can view the complete Homecoming schedule here.

That's a lot for the start of the year! For now, enjoy meeting or reconnecting with your peers and faculty, take a deep breath and get ready for another year of training, artistry, creativity and creation.  

Here’s to a successful year ahead.

Sincerely,

Brian Cole

Chancellor