Callie Twisselman hits Grand Ole Opry Stage for debut show

By Camille DeVaul · Tue Dec 23 2025

Country artist celebrates lifelong dream with family in tow and new EP 'Growing in Grace' 

NORTH COUNTY — For rising country artist Callie Twisselman, the phone call she received in October was one she had dreamed about for years. On Saturday, Dec. 27, Twisselman will step onto one of country music’s most respected stages, making her official debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

“It’s very exciting,” Twisselman told Paso Robles Press of playing at the Nashville landmark. “It’s always been something I’ve dreamt of doing, so I was pretty excited when I got the phone call from my manager.”

Twisselman explains that performers rehearse largely on their own until the day of the show, when they finally run through their set with the Opry’s house band before stepping into the spotlight.

Artists making their Opry debut are given the opportunity to perform two songs, and Twisselman has carefully chosen selections that reflect both sides of her artistry. She will perform “Ghost in My Head” and “King & Queen of Recklessness,” both taken from her new EP, "Growing in Grace."

“[One is] kind of a fun one and then a more slow, balanced [song],” she explained.

The Opry debut will be a family affair as the Twisselmans will extend their Christmas into Nashville to celebrate. Her parents will be in attendance, along with extended family members, and most notably her grandmother, who will turn 90 in March.

“We had talked about this five years ago or so,” Twisselman laughs. “I told her, ‘When I play the Opry, you’re going to have to come watch and fly over’ ...

I don’t know if she thought that it would actually happen.”

She added, “I think being able to share it with the family and experiencing it all with them, and then being able to drag it out and make it a little family vacation [is special].”

Professionally, Twisselman says the Opry debut serves as a reminder that she is on the right path. Like many independent artists, she admits there are moments of doubt along the long road of building a career in Nashville.

“Sometimes when it’s been a while, you kind of start to wonder, ‘Well, am I doing the right things? Is this what I’m supposed to be doing?’” she explains. “It kind of helped me in a way, ‘I’m supposed to keep doing this obviously or else they wouldn’t let me play the Opry.’ It’s a milestone moment where I feel like I [should] continue on and [I am] headed in the right direction with my career.”

That sense of momentum is reinforced by the new release of "Growing in Grace," an EP that collects all five of Twisselman’s 2025 singles into one cohesive project. Led by the reflective track “Tilted Halo,” which inspired the EP’s title, the project explores themes of faith, family, relationships, and resilience.

“When you put out singles, they kind of just get tossed aside, so putting them together into a project, I can have the hard copies of the CDs sent out,” Twisselman said. “[We are] giving them more of a chance to shine.”

Releasing the EP ahead of her Opry debut also feels timely, she added, as new listeners discovering her through the Opry will be introduced to a complete body of work.

Mainly a solo songwriter, Twisselman draws inspiration directly from life, her own experiences, and those of people around her. Songs like “King & Queen of Recklessness” reflect the frustrations of modern dating, while “Ghost in My Head” captures the lingering emotions of a breakup that’s hard to shake. Other tracks on the EP delve into faith and family, including “God Made a Farmer,” inspired by her father and the dedication required to keep a family ranch going.

Raised on a seventh-generation ranch in Shandon, Twisselman’s roots in country tradition run deep. From early performances at fairs to touring internationally and sharing stages with major artists, her journey has been marked by steady growth and hard-earned opportunities.

As she prepares to walk onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first time, surrounded by family and backed by the iconic Opry band, Twisselman sees the moment not as a finish line, but as confirmation.

Fans can catch the Grand Ole Opry live or on-demand through several TV and streaming options, including Circle Country (free on Roku, Samsung TV+, Xumo, and available on Peacock, FuboTV, and Xfinity), as well as livestreams on the Opry’s Facebook and YouTube pages on Saturday nights, with audio broadcasts available on WSM Radio.

Twisselman will also open for Dolly Parton at the rescheduled "Live in Vegas" show on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2026. Learn more about Callie Twisselman and find her music at callietwisselman.com