Nola Nahulu became Artistic & Music Director for the Hawai'i Youth Opera Chorus in 1986.  Since then the chorus has grown from twenty singers to as many as 225 children in the core program grades K-12.  The focus of the organization is that of Music Education.  There are nine graded ensembles, optional hula, piano and vocal coaching as well as choral conducting internships available for high school and college students and other teachers.  She conducts the High School, Select & Boy Choir ensembles.  The organization serves an average of 1500 students each year through its various outreach projects including hosting 3 choral festivals and music education outreach in an average of 8-10 schools a year.  She serves as a teaching mentor and choral clinician to music education students and multiple visiting guest ensembles each season, and is considered an authority on Hawaiian Choral Music.
 
Ms. Nahulu is a member of HMEA (Hawai'i Music Educator's Association), Treasurer for SGM (Society for General Music) and is past president for ADCA (American Choral Director's Association) Hawai'i Chapter. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hawaiian Music & Dance Foundation, Hawaii Arts Center for Youth, and the Hawaii Alliance for the Arts.
 
Ms. Nahulu serves as a teaching mentor and choral clinician to music education students and multiple visiting guest ensembles each season.

 
In honor of her many contributions, Nola received the YWCA Leadership Award in 2010.  She was also featured on the PBS “Long Story Short” program in 2011, and was named a Honpa Hongwanji Living Treasure in 2013.  She was awarded a Ho`okele Award by the Hawaii Community Foundation for excellence in nonprofit leadership in 2014, and received lifetime service and choral excellence awards from the Windward Choral Society and Honolulu Chorale in 2018.  In 2019, she was further recognized by the Aha Hipu`u of the Hawaiian Benevolent Societies for her work in cultural preservation and excellence.