Jazz International
New Orleans legendary music, vibrant arts, and deep culture knows no borders.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s Jazz International initiative is dedicated to sharing New Orleans’ unique heritage with the world, forging dynamic global partnerships through six overarching strategies that immerse audiences worldwide in authentic experiences. Jazz International engages in diverse musical exchanges with its partner organizations, both by hosting musicians from around the world in New Orleans and by sending delegations of New Orleans culture bearers to destinations around the globe. These missions take a wide variety of forms, including festivals, cultural diplomacy exchanges, and educational workshops. From France to Taiwan to the Dominican Republic, esteemed artists such as Herlin Riley, Dr. Michael White, James Andrews, and Gregg Stafford have shared New Orleans music and culture with global audiences.
In 2025, Jazz International also introduced Jazz Passports – an exclusive opportunity for members of the public to join the Museum’s cultural exchange initiative. These curated trips include behind the scenes experiences, museum visits, and tours.
Foundations of Jazz International
Traveling Exhibits
Through the Jazz International initiative, traveling exhibits from the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s collection can be customized to suit the specific needs of host galleries and venues. Below are exhibits currently in international circulation:
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Celebrates the development of the drum kit in New Orleans and the ongoing evolution of its rich local drumming traditions.
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Highlights the role of women in the evolution of New Orleans jazz, from its beginning in the early 20th century to today’s vibrant music scene.
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Economy Hall was one of the central places where jazz was born as all the early players from Kid Ory to King Oliver to Buddy BOlden made music inside it’s walls.
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The exhibition gives a glimpse into Louis Armstrong’s life in New Orleans and his evolving relationship with the city after his departure.
Educational Workshops
Jazz International partners with culture bearers and educators to bring New Orleans traditions to global communities. Previous educational programs included traditional umbrella and Black-Masking Indian suit confection, hands-on beading workshops, lectures, documentaries, drumming workshops, storytelling, tap-dancing, and second line history programs for younger audiences.
Support for Educational Materials
Jazz International proudly supports select primary education facilities by providing art and music supplies to underserved student populations through its fundraising activities on international missions.
Jazz Ambassadors
The New Orleans Jazz Ambassadors program gives university music students the opportunity to perform abroad, exposing foreign audiences to New Orleans brass band traditions and second line culture. Through institutional partnerships with various universities, students get the chance to experience and learn from other musical traditions.
Culinary Lectures and Demonstrations
The New Orleans Jazz Museum curates a culinary program designed to bring highlights of New Orleanian cuisine abroad, share the joys of the city’s cuisine, and educate participants about the history of the city’s food traditions.
Historical Research
Jazz International supports collaboration by connecting research institutions as well as individual scholars with allied organizations. With a focus on Atlantic world studies, the Jazz Museum archives provide a valuable source of information for researchers exploring historical connections between New Orleans and related regions of shared heritage. Through the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s online collections, Jazz International offers free and open access to researchers worldwide.
Jazz Passports
Jazz International offers travel experiences, dedicated to showcasing the shared cultural history of New Orleans and other cities around the world. Our travel experiences provide exclusive access to cultural institutions and historic sites, fostering cultural exchange, creating dialogue, and inviting people to take an active part in the larger mission of the Museum’s cultural exchange.
Jazz International Programs
Orléans, France
The New Orleans Jazz Museum cultivates a growing cultural partnership with Orléans, France, rooted in the longstanding sister-city relationship between Orléans and New Orleans. Through artist exchanges, educational programs, civic engagement, and collaborative performances, the partnership promotes cultural understanding while highlighting the shared historical and cultural connections between our communities.
Festival Jazz Nouvelle-Orléans à la Goutte d'Or, Paris
Since 2023, the New Orleans Jazz Museum has partnered with 360 Paris Music Factory to present Festival Jazz Nouvelle-Orléans à la Goutte d'Or, an annual celebration of New Orleans music, culture, cuisine, and community in the heart of Paris. Created to strengthen the longstanding cultural ties between France and Louisiana, the festival features concerts, masterclasses, exhibitions, culinary events, film screenings, and a New Orleans-style second line parade, with artists including James Andrews, Cha Wa, and Joe Lastie. By bringing together musicians, educators, chefs, and cultural partners, the festival promotes artistic exchange, supports cultural tourism, and deepens international engagement with Louisiana’s living cultural traditions while reinforcing the historic connection between New Orleans and France.
More on the Festival & Travel Information Below
The relationship with Jazz à Vienne, one of the biggest jazz festivals in France, began in 2022 with a mutual exchange of exhibitions, Drumsville and 40 Bubbles of Jazz. In 2026, as a continuation of this partnership, the New Orleans Jazz Museum presented a brand-new cultural exchange project on the main stage of Jazz à Vienne. The concert featured New Orleans artists James Andrews, Victor Campbell, Sam Dickey, and Gregory Hicks, performing alongside graduates of the French government’s Villa Albertine residency program– Anne Paceo, Tiss Rodriguez, and Sélène Saint-Aimé. All three of these artists completed part of their residencies at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. The Jazz International team also participated in the International Forum organized by the Centre National de la Musique, bringing together music industry professionals from all over the world.
Jazz à Vienne, France
Dominican Republic
Through annual exchange missions, educational programs, artist collaborations, performances, and community engagement initiatives, the Museum works with Dominican musicians, educators, cultural institutions, and civic leaders to strengthen cultural ties between New Orleans and the Dominican Republic. These exchanges promote music education, cultural preservation, professional development, and international collaboration while creating opportunities for students, artists, and cultural professionals to share knowledge, celebrate shared traditions, and build lasting connections through the arts.
More information on the Dominican Republic Partnership Below
The New Orleans Jazz Museum's partnership with Taiwan continues to strengthen through ongoing collaboration with Taiwan's Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan Academy in Houston, the Taipei Jazz Orchestra, and leading cultural institutions throughout the country.
A centerpiece of the partnership is participation in the Taichung Jazz Festival and Taipei Jazz Festival, where New Orleans artists perform alongside Taiwan's leading musicians in collaborative concerts and educational programs. Recent exchanges have featured James Andrews, Douglas Stone, Vernon Severin, and other New Orleans culture bearers, reaching audiences of tens of thousands, notably with the first ever New Orleans second line in the streets of Taichung.
Taiwan
CasaNOLA, Morocco
In 2025, the New Orleans Jazz Museum launched a new cultural exchange partnership with Morocco through the inaugural CasaNola Festival in Casablanca. Developed in collaboration with New Orleans-based Moroccan musician Mahmoud Chouki, in partnership with Mr. Karim Taissir, President of Avempace and Directeur Artistique de Symphonyat, the program introduced Moroccan audiences to New Orleans jazz, cuisine, cultural traditions, and educational programming while promoting Louisiana as an international cultural destination.
The week-long exchange featured performances by leading New Orleans musicians, jazz education workshops, a Black Masking Indian cultural presentation, culinary demonstrations, and collaborative performances with Moroccan artists. Through partnerships with cultural institutions, the U.S. Embassy in Casablanca, and local arts organizations, the program fostered meaningful dialogue between Moroccan and New Orleans artistic traditions while highlighting the shared values of creativity, community, and cultural preservation.
