12:00 a.m. | The Nutcracker (complete)

9:00 a.m. | Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus

In Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus, Cantus weaves together three holiday stories with time-honored carols and new classics. Blending narration and song, the program features Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Christine Lê's The Hawi'i Snowman, alongside Mark Twain's A Letter from Santa Claus, offering an opportunity to reflect on the meaning and joy of the holiday season. 

12:00 p.m. | Your Classical Christmas Favorites

Join us this holiday season as we count down the top Christmas songs as voted by you in a one-hour special.

4:00 p.m. | Carols, Customs, and Candlelight: A Celtic Christmas Celebration (Encore Presentation)

The Celtic lands of Northwestern Europe have an especially rich musical heritage, and many Christmas songs and carols come from places like Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and other Celtic nations. Listen as host Andrea Blain explores music and customs that have roots in ancient winter celebrations and traditional Christmas festivals. The music features classical ensembles and soloists like Apollo's Fire and Bryn Terfel, as wellas traditional insturments like harp, fiddle and mandolin. Lots of well-known Christmas music comes from the Celtic tradition, and some very beautiful but lesser-known festive music.

6:00 p.m. | KMFA By Request Holiday Edition

7:00 p.m. | Winter Holidays Around the World with Bill McGlaughlin

Winter holidays are celebrated around the world, and their music is wonderful to hear, regardless of which tradition you observe. Bill’s spirited selection starts in the 12th century with Nova Stella, medieval Italian Christmas music from Saint Francis of Assisi’s staging of the nativity; jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s classical composition La Fiesta de la Posada, evoking a Mexican Christmas celebration; and Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols. We will enjoy this time of year in Paris with music from Debussy, and then travel to Polynesia for a traditional hymn, Anau Oia Ea. And then ending with an excerpt from Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors from the original television production. Turn on your radio, pour a cup of tea, cozy up to a warm fire, and enjoy the music!

8:00 p.m. | From the Butler School Holiday Special

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24 (Christmas Eve)

6:00 a.m. | Christmas Eve with Emilio

9:00 a.m. | Lessons and Carols LIVE

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols presents a live, world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols, and related seasonal Classical music. This special will be presented by one of the world's foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, England. 

11:00 a.m. | Christmas Eve with Dianne

12:00 p.m. | Pianoforte Holiday Special 

2:00 p.m. | Christmas Eve with Sara

4:00 p.m. |  ¡Vamos a Belén! Christmas with The Rose Ensemble

The acclaimed Rose Ensemble returns with a free one-hour special featuring festive and evocative music from early Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, and beyond. Colonial Latin America was a melting pot of ethnic diversity, when newcomers wresteled with a melting pot of ethnic diversity, when newcomers wrestled with local traditions, and cultural conflict was often reconciled through musical collaboration. Dances from the streets of Mother Spain mingle from African rhythms and indigenous languages, while celebration turns glorious in the pageantry of the Franciscan missions of California and New Mexico. The Rose Ensemble is joined by special guests, Piffaro, The Renaissance Band. 

5:00 p.m. | Christmas Eve with Sara (Encore Presentation)

6:00 p.m. | KMFA By Request Holiday Edition

7:00 p.m. | Lessons and Carols (Encore Presentation)

8:00 p.m. | Chanticleer Christmas (Encore Presentation)

The beloved, Grammy®-winning men's chorus brings its "rich, intricately blended sound" (The Washington Post) to its signature holiday celebration. The centuries-spanning program ranges from Renaissance masterworks to roof-raising spirituals. 

10:00 p.m. | Christmas Eve with Jess

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 (Christmas Day)

6:00 a.m. | Christmas Morning with Emilio

8:00 a.m. | All is Bright (Encore Presentation)

 

All Is Bright, with host Lynne Warfel, offers an hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star and the manger scene. Featured artists include Cantus, Chanticleer, Cambridge Singers, Bryn Terfel, Emma Kirkby, Jessye Norman, and a variety of choirs. 

 

9:00 a.m. | Your Classical Christmas Favorites (Encore Presentation)

 

Join us this holiday season as we count down the top Christmas songs as voted by you in a one-hour special.

 

10:00 a.m. | Christmas with Dianne

 

12:00 p.m. | From the Butler School Holiday Edition (Encore Presentation)

 

2:00 p.m. | Gaudete! Early Music for the Christmas Season

 

Sara Schneider, producer and host of Early Music Now, presents Gaudete! Early Music for the Christmas Season, with joyful and contemplative sounds of the season. In this one-hour special, we'll hear Byzantine chant by Kassiani, and selections from Missa Puer natus est nobis by Thomas Tallis, plus hymns and motets from Spain, Germany, and France. Our performers include The Cardinall's Musick, Theatre of Voices, Capella Ramana, and Oltremontano. 

 

3:00 p.m. | Messiah Selections with Sara

 

4:00 p.m. | Welcome Christmas (Encore Presentation)

 

Welcome Christmas is a perennial Christmas favorite from VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles, conducted by Philip Brunelle and G. Phillip Shoultz. Join host Bonnie North for an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries, including the world premiere of three beloved Latvian carols by composer Ēriks Ešenvalds.

 

5:00 p.m. | Carols as Home, with Imani Winds (Encore Presentation)

Carols as Home features a modern take on classic Christmas carols, hosted by Imani Winds founding oboist, Toyin Spellman-Diaz. Toyin coaxes intimate stories of Christmas memories from the members of the ensemble, and why these classic carols are still essential today.

6:00 p.m. | Winter Holidays Around the Globe with Bill McGlaughlin (Encore Presentation)

 

Winter holidays are celebrated around the world, and their music is wonderful to hear, regardless of which tradition you observe. Bill’s spirited selection starts in the 12th century with Nova Stella, medieval Italian Christmas music from Saint Francis of Assisi’s staging of the nativity; jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s classical composition La Fiesta de la Posada, evoking a Mexican Christmas celebration; and Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols. We will enjoy this time of year in Paris with music from Debussy, and then travel to Polynesia for a traditional hymn, Anau Oia Ea. And then ending with an excerpt from Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors from the original television production. Turn on your radio, pour a cup of tea, cozy up to a warm fire, and enjoy the music!

 

7:00 p.m. | St. Olaf Christmas Festival 

For one and half centuries, St. Olaf has been a hub of connections, knowledge, and growth. And for more than a century, the St. Olaf Christmas Festival has been a cherished part of that history. Join us as we celebrate their legacy in this 2-hour special broadcast. 

9:00 p.m. | CA Classically Austin Holiday  (Encore Presentation)

10:00 p.m. | Lessons and Carols (Encore Presentation)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26 

6:00 p.m. | Itzhak Perlman's Chanukah Radio Party

Itzhak Perlman invites you to his Chanukah Radio Party. Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights, and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday – some serious, some silly. This engaging one-hour special includes numbers from Itzhak Perlman’s radio-addicted childhood in Israel; evocative songs in Yiddish and Ladino; classical music that revolves around the Maccabee heroes of the story; and Chanukah gems by American folk singers. The master storyteller also regales you with jokes and memories, plus tales of three classic Chanukah symbols: the menorah, the latke, and, of course, the dreidel. A good time for the whole family, at Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party!

 

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 

6:00 p.m. | Candles Burning Brightly

 

A delightful hour for everyone to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights! Lots of music from Jewish communities around the world, plus a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Chanukah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.