CANYON, Texas — A mashup of old-school classics and new-world twang will entertain audiences at the first event of the season for a special spotlight series at West Texas A&M University.

The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series will kick off with “An Evening with the Opera Cowgirls,” a concert event and cocktail buffet.

The concert will begin at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Alumni Banquet Dining Hall on the WT campus in Canyon.

Admission is free for The Arts at WT members or a suggested minimum donation of $50 each for nonmembers.

RSVPs from The Arts at WT members are requested by Sept. 15; nonmembers can donate at wtamu.edu/wt-opera. Call 806-651-2777 or email [email protected].

The Opera Cowgirls quintet—which features Sarah Beckham-Turner, WT assistant professor of music—bills itself as the intersection of grand opera and the Grand Ole Opry.

Members also include Caitlin McKechney, Mila Henry, Maria Maxfield and Jessica Sandidge. Each performs traditional country-music instruments such as mandolins and guitars while singing a mixture of opera arias and western songs.

Katy Moore, a WT alumna and Amarillo Symphony associate concertmaster, will perform as well.

“We are all professional opera singers and musicians who also happen to love country music,” Beckham-Turner said. “We create our own versions of opera and country classics using our unique instrumentation. From the swankiest of parties to the grungiest of bars, Opera Cowgirls are sure to entertain.”

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $110 million.