CANYON, Texas — A trio of West Texas A&M University music students placed second in a national opera competition.

Ranking highly in the National Opera Association’s Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition on Jan. 4 in Phoenix were Brooklynn King, a junior music major from Pearland; Erin Hinds, a senior music major from Amarillo; and Sarah Estes, a sophomore music major from Turpin, Oklahoma.

They performed “Hatbox Trio” from the opera “Postcard from Morocco,” staged in November 2022 by WT Opera.

“I am so proud of my students,” said Sarah Beckham-Turner, assistant professor of voice and WT Opera director. “Their competition was absolutely spectacular, and it’s an amazing honor that our WT singers placed so highly.”

The contest, which was founded in 2009, was named for Hansen in honor of his 25 years of service as NOA’s executive director.

Hansen, WT’s Regents Professor of Music, stepped down as director of WT’s School of Music this summer and officially will retire from the University following the 2023-24 academic year.

Only four finalists are selected in the competition’s three divisions, Beckham-Turner said.

Foserting 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 One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.

Photo: West Texas A&M University students Sarah Estes, second from left, Erin Hinds and Brooklynn King won second-place honors at the National Opera Association’s Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition on Jan. 4. Also pictured are Sarah Beckham-Turner, left, assistant professor of voice and WT Opera director; and Dr. Robert Hansen, WT’s Regents Professor of Music.