Classical Music in New England for the Holidays: WGBH Holiday Programing Information
SATURDAY, 12/3
6 – 7 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
SUNDAY, 12/4
Noon – 1 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
SATURDAY, 12/10
6 – 7 pm Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs NPR
The choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges join forces for spirituals, carols, and sacred texts from the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
SUNDAY, 12/11
noon- 1 pm Boston Camerata: An American Christmas. WGBH From our Fraser performance studio, The Boston Camerata explores a uniquely American celebration of the season from the ensemble that has pioneered in the rediscovery of American musical roots.
1 – 3 PM Music of the Baroque: Brass & Choral Holiday Spectacular. WFMT Jane Glover conducts Chicago's Music of the Baroque with music of the 16th and 17th centuries by composers such as Johann Vierdanck, Michael Praetorius, Thomas Tallis, Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli, Jacob Handl and John Francis Wade, among others.
SATURDAY, 12/17
4 – 6 pm The St. Olaf Christmas Festival. APM More than 500 musicians from St. Olaf College are featured in a festival of hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations.
6 – 7 pm Christmas Around New England. WGBH Enjoy a special program of New England’s most beloved, original and unusual musical artists and their holiday musical traditions, recorded in concert around the six-state region.
7 – 10 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
SUNDAY, 12/18
Noon – 1 pm The Boston Camerata: A Medieval Christmas. WGBH . A holiday celebration with the Boston Camerata's most beloved program of all time. "A Medieval Christmas," absent for many years from the Boston area, now returns with its enchanting music and the eternally powerful story of the Nativity. Magnificent medieval song and poetry from France, Provence, England, and Germany, performed by a virtuoso consort of voices and instruments, will fill the ears and warm the hearts of old Camerata friends and newcomers alike. Anne Azéma directs the Boston Camerata.
1 – 3 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
3 – 5 pm LIVE! A Bach Christmas WGBH The Handel & Haydn Society and American conductor Steven Fox, in his H&H debut, perform Bach’s Cantata No. 133 and Part V of the Christmas Oratorio, live from Jordan Hall.
MONDAY, 12/19
7 – 8 pm Carols for Dancing WGBH The Renaissonics return for a program that explores the dance origins of favorite seasonal carols, with intriguing narratives by Ellen Kushner.
TUESDAY, 12/20
7 – 8 pm Chanukah in Story and Song. PRI Actor Leonard Nimoy is host and narrator, and Western Wind performs Ladino songs of Spanish Jews, Yiddish melodies of Eastern Europe, and modern Israeli tunes.
WEDNESDAY, 12/21
7 – 8 pm A Chanticleer Christmas. APM The San Francisco-based men’s chorus is known as an “orchestra of voices” and recognized worldwide for their brilliant technique and musicality.
10 – 12 pm A Paul Winter Solstice Concert NPR Paul Winter, his ensemble, and special guests join NPR to celebrate the longest night of the year the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, a space of acoustic glory and esthetic majesty.
THURSDAY, 12/22
7 – 8 pm Welcome, Christmas! APM A perennial favorite featuring the Minneapolis-based ensemble VocalEsssence. Recognized internationally as one of America's premier choral arts organizations, VocalEssence is led by the visionary conductor Philip Brunelle.
FRIDAY, 12/23
7 – 9 pm Performance Today’s “Christmas Around The Country.” APM Fred Child brings you a “Holiday Mix Tape” of captivating performances of holiday music from concerts around the country.
9 pm – 1 am “Feliz Navidad” from Concierto. WDAV Host Frank Dominguez shares traditional Spanish language villancicos of the season, sacred works by composers such as Joaquín Rodrigo, and carols and Christmas songs with Hispanic artists such as tenor Plácido Domingo and pianist Gabriela Montero.
SATURDAY 12/24, Christmas Eve
8 – 10 am The Nutcracker WGBH Boston Ballet conductor Jonathan McPhee joins host James David Jacobs for a “guided tour” of Tchaikovsky’s magical ballet score.
10–11:30 am LIVE! A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols WGBH This world-wide live broadcast tradition once again brings you a service of readings and music, live from King’s College, Cambridge, in England.
11:30am – 4 pm Christmas Eve Songs and Stories with Ray Brown WGBH
Classical New England’s popular Saturday afternoon host enlivens one of the most magical days of the year with great music and heartwarming tales.
4 – 6 pm A Carolina Christmas from Biltmore Estate with Kathy Mattea NPR/WDAV
The sounds of Appalachian folk traditions, African-American spirituals, Celtic jigs, and more fill America’s largest private home, The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
6 – 7 pm Jonathan Winters' A Christmas Carol NPR
Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents Dickens' holiday classic in a special performing edition prepared by Dickens himself for his own presentations.
7 – 10 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
10 – 11 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
11 pm - Mid Echoes of Christmas. APM Moving selections of choral classics celebrating Christmas. The Dale Warland Singers provided magical performances to listeners across the country for over 30 years and were acclaimed as America's premiere choir. Their signature holiday concert—beloved by public radio listeners nationwide—was the annual Echoes of Christmas program. Drawing upon the archive of their live performances, Dale Warland and host Brian Newhouse create a very special Christmas musical treat.
SUNDAY, 12/25, Christmas Day
6 - 7 am The Bach Hour on Christmas WGBH Host Brian McCreath’s popular weekly program features one of J.S. Bach's glorious, celebratory creations for Christmas Day, the Cantata No. 63, “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag.”
7 – 11 am Bar0que in Boston for Christmas Day WGBH The warm presence of Laura Carlo accompanies great holiday favorites from the pens of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, and their contemporaries.
11 am – noon Boston Camerata: A Medieval Christmas WGBH Anne Azéma directs an enchanting program of Mediaeval song and poetry from France, England, and Germany.
Noon – 1 pm Christmas Around New England. WGBH Enjoy a special program of New England’s most beloved, original and unusual musical artists and their holiday musical traditions, recorded in concert around the six-state region.
1 – 4 pm Handel’s Messiah from Handel & Haydn. WGBH Join Ron Della Chiesa for one of Boston's most cherished holiday traditions as Music Director Harry Christophers leads the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus in Handel's Messiah, recorded in concert Symphony Hall in Boston with soprano Sophie Bevan, alto Catherine Wyn-Rogers, tenor Allan Clayton, bass Sumner Thompson.
4 – 5 pm Boston Camerata: An American Christmas. WGBH From our Fraser performance studio, The Boston Camerata explores a uniquely American celebration of the season from the ensemble that has pioneered in the rediscovery of American musical roots.
5 – 6 pm The Bach Hour on Christmas WGBH Host Brian McCreath’s popular weekly program features one of J.S. Bach's glorious, celebratory creations for Christmas Day, the Cantata No. 63, “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag.”
6 – 8 pm A Bach Christmas WGBH The Handel & Haydn Society and American conductor Steven Fox, in his H&H debut, perform Bach’s Cantata No. 133 and Part V of the Christmas Oratorio, in concert at Jordan Hall.
8 – 9 pm Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs NPR
The choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges join forces for spirituals, carols, and sacred texts from the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
9 – 10 pm Carols for Dancing WGBH The Renaissonics return for a program that explores the dance origins of favorite seasonal carols, with intriguing narratives by Ellen Kushner.
10 pm - mid Music of the Baroque: Brass & Choral Holiday Spectacular WFMT
Jane Glover conducts Chicago's Music of the Baroque with music of the 16th and 17th centuries by Thomas Tallis, Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli, and more.
MONDAY, 12/26, Boxing Day
10 am – 2 pm Boxing Day Brunch with Alan McLellan WGBH
Classical New England’s midday host has a salute to a great British tradition, replete with special guests, Christmas Crackers, figgy pudding, and lots of great music from the U.K.’s finest concert halls.
4 – 6 pm The St. Olaf Christmas Festival. APM More than 500 musicians from St. Olaf College are featured in a festival of hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations.
TUESDAY, 12/28
7 – 8 pm Hanukkah Lights 2011. NPR A perennial public-radio favorite, Hanukkah Lights features Hanukkah stories and memoirs written by acclaimed authors expressly for the show, asread by NPR's Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
FRIDAY, 12/30
9 pm – 1 am Feliz Año Nuevo with Concierto! WDAV Host Frank Dominguez explores the many New Year’s traditions with a Spanish accent, ranging from traditional Mexican waltzes to Viennese Waltzes conducted by one-time Argentinians Daniel Barenboim and Carlos Kleiber.
SATURDAY, 12/31 New Year’s Eve
7 pm – 1 am Pops Goes New Year’s Eve! WGBH Symphony Hall may be dark, but WGBH’s Studio 6 will be ablaze with Ron Della Chiesa’s warm personality and high-spirited program designed to bid Auld Lang Syne to 2011. After all, “The Best is Yet to Come!”
SUNDAY, 1/1/12 New Year’s Day
11 am - 1 pm New Year’s Day from Vienna 2012 WGBH/NPR
Direct from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, it’s the most popular classical music concert in the world! This year, Mariss Janssons leads the annual celebration concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, featuring the waltzes, marches, galops of the Strauss family and much more. Laura Carlo hosts.
3 - 5 pm LIVE! Boston Baroque’s Gala First Day Concert. WGBH Why should Vienna have all the fun? Cathy Fuller is on hand for a Boston New Year’s Day tradition live from Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. Martin Pearlman and Boston Baroque start the New Year with Bach's Concerto for Two Violins, a sparkling Corelli concerto grosso, a harp concerto by Handel . . . and a surprise finale!
6 - 8 pm New Year’s Day from Vienna 2012. WGBH/NPR In case you’ve had too much holiday cheer, we offer you an encore presentation of the morning program.
8 - 10 pm Boston Baroque’s Gala First Day Concert. WGBH Relive the revelry from earlier in the afternoon at Sanders Theatre.
6 – 7 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
SUNDAY, 12/4
Noon – 1 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
SATURDAY, 12/10
6 – 7 pm Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs NPR
The choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges join forces for spirituals, carols, and sacred texts from the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
SUNDAY, 12/11
noon- 1 pm Boston Camerata: An American Christmas. WGBH From our Fraser performance studio, The Boston Camerata explores a uniquely American celebration of the season from the ensemble that has pioneered in the rediscovery of American musical roots.
1 – 3 PM Music of the Baroque: Brass & Choral Holiday Spectacular. WFMT Jane Glover conducts Chicago's Music of the Baroque with music of the 16th and 17th centuries by composers such as Johann Vierdanck, Michael Praetorius, Thomas Tallis, Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli, Jacob Handl and John Francis Wade, among others.
SATURDAY, 12/17
4 – 6 pm The St. Olaf Christmas Festival. APM More than 500 musicians from St. Olaf College are featured in a festival of hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations.
6 – 7 pm Christmas Around New England. WGBH Enjoy a special program of New England’s most beloved, original and unusual musical artists and their holiday musical traditions, recorded in concert around the six-state region.
7 – 10 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
SUNDAY, 12/18
Noon – 1 pm The Boston Camerata: A Medieval Christmas. WGBH . A holiday celebration with the Boston Camerata's most beloved program of all time. "A Medieval Christmas," absent for many years from the Boston area, now returns with its enchanting music and the eternally powerful story of the Nativity. Magnificent medieval song and poetry from France, Provence, England, and Germany, performed by a virtuoso consort of voices and instruments, will fill the ears and warm the hearts of old Camerata friends and newcomers alike. Anne Azéma directs the Boston Camerata.
1 – 3 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
3 – 5 pm LIVE! A Bach Christmas WGBH The Handel & Haydn Society and American conductor Steven Fox, in his H&H debut, perform Bach’s Cantata No. 133 and Part V of the Christmas Oratorio, live from Jordan Hall.
MONDAY, 12/19
7 – 8 pm Carols for Dancing WGBH The Renaissonics return for a program that explores the dance origins of favorite seasonal carols, with intriguing narratives by Ellen Kushner.
TUESDAY, 12/20
7 – 8 pm Chanukah in Story and Song. PRI Actor Leonard Nimoy is host and narrator, and Western Wind performs Ladino songs of Spanish Jews, Yiddish melodies of Eastern Europe, and modern Israeli tunes.
WEDNESDAY, 12/21
7 – 8 pm A Chanticleer Christmas. APM The San Francisco-based men’s chorus is known as an “orchestra of voices” and recognized worldwide for their brilliant technique and musicality.
10 – 12 pm A Paul Winter Solstice Concert NPR Paul Winter, his ensemble, and special guests join NPR to celebrate the longest night of the year the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, a space of acoustic glory and esthetic majesty.
THURSDAY, 12/22
7 – 8 pm Welcome, Christmas! APM A perennial favorite featuring the Minneapolis-based ensemble VocalEsssence. Recognized internationally as one of America's premier choral arts organizations, VocalEssence is led by the visionary conductor Philip Brunelle.
FRIDAY, 12/23
7 – 9 pm Performance Today’s “Christmas Around The Country.” APM Fred Child brings you a “Holiday Mix Tape” of captivating performances of holiday music from concerts around the country.
9 pm – 1 am “Feliz Navidad” from Concierto. WDAV Host Frank Dominguez shares traditional Spanish language villancicos of the season, sacred works by composers such as Joaquín Rodrigo, and carols and Christmas songs with Hispanic artists such as tenor Plácido Domingo and pianist Gabriela Montero.
SATURDAY 12/24, Christmas Eve
8 – 10 am The Nutcracker WGBH Boston Ballet conductor Jonathan McPhee joins host James David Jacobs for a “guided tour” of Tchaikovsky’s magical ballet score.
10–11:30 am LIVE! A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols WGBH This world-wide live broadcast tradition once again brings you a service of readings and music, live from King’s College, Cambridge, in England.
11:30am – 4 pm Christmas Eve Songs and Stories with Ray Brown WGBH
Classical New England’s popular Saturday afternoon host enlivens one of the most magical days of the year with great music and heartwarming tales.
4 – 6 pm A Carolina Christmas from Biltmore Estate with Kathy Mattea NPR/WDAV
The sounds of Appalachian folk traditions, African-American spirituals, Celtic jigs, and more fill America’s largest private home, The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
6 – 7 pm Jonathan Winters' A Christmas Carol NPR
Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents Dickens' holiday classic in a special performing edition prepared by Dickens himself for his own presentations.
7 – 10 pm Holiday Pops 2011! WGBH Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus take the stage for your favorite carols, a few surprises, and a visit from a certain fellow in a red suit, direct from Symphony Hall in Boston!
10 – 11 pm A Leroy Anderson Christmas WFMT Hosted by conductor Leonard Slatkin and the composer's son Kurt Anderson, the BBC Concert Orchestra performs Leroy Anderson’s Christmas favorites.
11 pm - Mid Echoes of Christmas. APM Moving selections of choral classics celebrating Christmas. The Dale Warland Singers provided magical performances to listeners across the country for over 30 years and were acclaimed as America's premiere choir. Their signature holiday concert—beloved by public radio listeners nationwide—was the annual Echoes of Christmas program. Drawing upon the archive of their live performances, Dale Warland and host Brian Newhouse create a very special Christmas musical treat.
SUNDAY, 12/25, Christmas Day
6 - 7 am The Bach Hour on Christmas WGBH Host Brian McCreath’s popular weekly program features one of J.S. Bach's glorious, celebratory creations for Christmas Day, the Cantata No. 63, “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag.”
7 – 11 am Bar0que in Boston for Christmas Day WGBH The warm presence of Laura Carlo accompanies great holiday favorites from the pens of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, and their contemporaries.
11 am – noon Boston Camerata: A Medieval Christmas WGBH Anne Azéma directs an enchanting program of Mediaeval song and poetry from France, England, and Germany.
Noon – 1 pm Christmas Around New England. WGBH Enjoy a special program of New England’s most beloved, original and unusual musical artists and their holiday musical traditions, recorded in concert around the six-state region.
1 – 4 pm Handel’s Messiah from Handel & Haydn. WGBH Join Ron Della Chiesa for one of Boston's most cherished holiday traditions as Music Director Harry Christophers leads the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus in Handel's Messiah, recorded in concert Symphony Hall in Boston with soprano Sophie Bevan, alto Catherine Wyn-Rogers, tenor Allan Clayton, bass Sumner Thompson.
4 – 5 pm Boston Camerata: An American Christmas. WGBH From our Fraser performance studio, The Boston Camerata explores a uniquely American celebration of the season from the ensemble that has pioneered in the rediscovery of American musical roots.
5 – 6 pm The Bach Hour on Christmas WGBH Host Brian McCreath’s popular weekly program features one of J.S. Bach's glorious, celebratory creations for Christmas Day, the Cantata No. 63, “Christen, ätzet diesen Tag.”
6 – 8 pm A Bach Christmas WGBH The Handel & Haydn Society and American conductor Steven Fox, in his H&H debut, perform Bach’s Cantata No. 133 and Part V of the Christmas Oratorio, in concert at Jordan Hall.
8 – 9 pm Christmas with the Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs NPR
The choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges join forces for spirituals, carols, and sacred texts from the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
9 – 10 pm Carols for Dancing WGBH The Renaissonics return for a program that explores the dance origins of favorite seasonal carols, with intriguing narratives by Ellen Kushner.
10 pm - mid Music of the Baroque: Brass & Choral Holiday Spectacular WFMT
Jane Glover conducts Chicago's Music of the Baroque with music of the 16th and 17th centuries by Thomas Tallis, Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Gabrieli, and more.
MONDAY, 12/26, Boxing Day
10 am – 2 pm Boxing Day Brunch with Alan McLellan WGBH
Classical New England’s midday host has a salute to a great British tradition, replete with special guests, Christmas Crackers, figgy pudding, and lots of great music from the U.K.’s finest concert halls.
4 – 6 pm The St. Olaf Christmas Festival. APM More than 500 musicians from St. Olaf College are featured in a festival of hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections that has become one of the nation’s most cherished holiday celebrations.
TUESDAY, 12/28
7 – 8 pm Hanukkah Lights 2011. NPR A perennial public-radio favorite, Hanukkah Lights features Hanukkah stories and memoirs written by acclaimed authors expressly for the show, asread by NPR's Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
FRIDAY, 12/30
9 pm – 1 am Feliz Año Nuevo with Concierto! WDAV Host Frank Dominguez explores the many New Year’s traditions with a Spanish accent, ranging from traditional Mexican waltzes to Viennese Waltzes conducted by one-time Argentinians Daniel Barenboim and Carlos Kleiber.
SATURDAY, 12/31 New Year’s Eve
7 pm – 1 am Pops Goes New Year’s Eve! WGBH Symphony Hall may be dark, but WGBH’s Studio 6 will be ablaze with Ron Della Chiesa’s warm personality and high-spirited program designed to bid Auld Lang Syne to 2011. After all, “The Best is Yet to Come!”
SUNDAY, 1/1/12 New Year’s Day
11 am - 1 pm New Year’s Day from Vienna 2012 WGBH/NPR
Direct from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna, it’s the most popular classical music concert in the world! This year, Mariss Janssons leads the annual celebration concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, featuring the waltzes, marches, galops of the Strauss family and much more. Laura Carlo hosts.
3 - 5 pm LIVE! Boston Baroque’s Gala First Day Concert. WGBH Why should Vienna have all the fun? Cathy Fuller is on hand for a Boston New Year’s Day tradition live from Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. Martin Pearlman and Boston Baroque start the New Year with Bach's Concerto for Two Violins, a sparkling Corelli concerto grosso, a harp concerto by Handel . . . and a surprise finale!
6 - 8 pm New Year’s Day from Vienna 2012. WGBH/NPR In case you’ve had too much holiday cheer, we offer you an encore presentation of the morning program.
8 - 10 pm Boston Baroque’s Gala First Day Concert. WGBH Relive the revelry from earlier in the afternoon at Sanders Theatre.
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