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Your weekly guide to Houston: Five (plus) don't-miss events — Jewish Christmas fun included

On tap this week is a mega art sale, a wine wholesale shop-a-thon, a twinkling tour that celebrates Houston's iconic past, a performance in which Manischewitz and Santa play nice and an inspiring concert reverberating with magical voices.

Glassell Studio School Student Art Sale

Your jaw will drop to the floor when you see not only the amount of art, but also the quality of paintings, prints, ceramics, jewelry and more that awash the classrooms of the Glassell School of Art for this popular shopping binge. The students put up their works up for sale, with proceeds benefiting the artists and Glassell scholarships.

Tips: Go early for the best selection and don't second guess yourself. Because it's not as though you could go back a week later and the goods will be there waiting for you.

The skinny: Friday and Saturday; Glassell School of Art; free admission.

13 Celsius' Annual Wholesale Market and Customer Appreciation Event

I am stupid about wine. Although I know very little, I can always count on the grape savants at 13 Celsius to recommend something that matches my mood. So whether you're looking to stock up your cellar or for holiday gifts, there's no better place to do so than at the wine bar's wholesale market — prices are that good.

The event also welcomes local food merchants such as Slow Dough Bread Co., Catalina Coffee, Houston Dairymaids and Sweet Voodoo. Cookbook author Erin Hicks will make an appearance to sell and sign copies of her newest masterpeice, Houston Small Plants and Sips.

The skinny: Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; 13 Celsius; free event.

Heritage Society's 52nd Annual Candlelight Tour

Experience the Houston of yesteryear at this annual event during which historic buildings sparkle with holiday glee. The Heritage Society hosts this two-day celebration that features seasonal activities, performances and yummy bites — a perfect date night or family outing.

New this year is an art market curated by the Bayou City Art Festival.

The skinny: Saturday and Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m.; The Heritage Society; $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students ages 6-18, children ages 5 and under attend for free.

Horse Head Theatre Company hosts "Holiday Huzzah" featuring Abby Koenig's The Jew Who Loves Christmas

Part party, part performance and all hilarity, this "Holiday Huzzah" gathering hosted by Horse Head Theatre Company is just what you would expect from this amicable thespian troupe. In addition to an open mic, raffles and games, the evening includes Abby Koenig's one-woman show, The Jew Who Loves Christmas — that's yours truly all the way as well.

Recommended attire: Holiday cheer and that ugly sweater aunt Ursula gave you for Christmas in 1994. Sounds like a perfect outing when combined with Lights in the Heights.

The skinny: Saturday, 7 p.m.; Obsidian Art Space; tickets start at $40.

Houston Chamber Choir presents "Noël, Noël - Christmas at the Villa"

The accoustics of the chapel offer an unparalled milieu in which to enjoy the crystal-clear voices of this professional chamber choir. If you need an uplifting outing, you can count your blessings that the Houston Chamber Choir will deliver a magical musicale that includes tunes that feed the soul with goodness.

The skinny: Saturday and Sunday, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on both days; Villa de Matel; $40 adults, $36 seniors.

Glassell School of Art students put up their works up for sale, with proceeds benefiting the artists and Glassell scholarships.

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Emerging talent

Houston Grand Opera's 'Concert of Arias' showcases rising star singers

Winners of the 2024 Concert of Arias on stage at Houston Grand Opera

Photo by Michael Bishop, courtesy Houston Grand Opera

Winners from the 36th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. Concert of Arias is one of Houston Grand Opera's most-loved traditions. It affords cash prizes to the winners and determines placement in HGO's Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio program.

Houston audiences can hear seven emerging opera singers from around the globe at Houston Grand Opera’s upcoming 37th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. The annual audience favorite, also known as Concert of Arias, is Friday, January 17 at the Wortham Theater Center at 7 pm.

Prior to the performance, the seven finalists spent a week immersing themselves in HGO’s culture and collaborating with its music staff. Each finalist will sing two arias, accompanied by the HGO Orchestra, conducted by Maestro James Gaffigan. They are competing for cash prizes and placement in HGO’s prestigious Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the country’s top residency programs for emerging opera talent.

The winners will take home $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place, and $5,000 for the Audience Choice Award. Each non-placing finalist will receive $3,500, with one of them selected for the $2,000 Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award.

The finalists are:

Lauren Carroll, a soprano from Bettendorf, Iowa who earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Drake University.
Daria Lupu a soprano from Romania who is a member of the Experimental Studio in Musical Performing Arts “Ludovic Spiess” at the Bucharest National Opera.
Alexis Seminario, a soprano who is currently a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera and a 2020 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. She holds a Master of Music degree from Bard College Conservatory.
Meg Brilleslyper, a mezzo-soprano and 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy who is pursuing her Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Luke Norvell, a tenor from Tacoma, Washington who is a fourth-year resident artist at Academy of Vocal Art and has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Master’s University.
Luka Tsevelidze, a tenor from Georgia and student at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire who made his operatic debut as Tamino in The Magic Flute with the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Opera Studio.
Geonho Lee, a baritone from South Korea who holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University and was a 2024 semifinalist in the renowned Operalia Competition. He is currently pursuing advanced studies at the University of Music and Theatre Munich.

Tickets are sold out, but people can watch a live stream of the performance, interviews with the singers, and more on HGO's YouTube channel.

houston grand opera performing-arts