Holiday Specials

Christmas & Holiday Classical Music

Create a festive atmosphere this holiday season. Tune into Iowa Public Radio Classical for timeless pieces that celebrate this special time of year.

Candles Burning Brightly

4 p.m., December 14
Celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights with a delightful hour of music from Jewish communities around the world, a hilarious lesson on how to prepare a classic Chanukah dish, and a timeless and touching holiday story that brings light into every home.

Itzhak Perlman's Chanukah Radio Party

5 p.m., December 14
Superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman invites you to his Chanukah party for stories of the Jewish Festival of Lights and his favorite recordings for the holiday. This party includes numbers from 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 Metropolitan Opera: Mozart's Magic Flute

Noon, December 20
The Metropolitan Opera continues a beloved New York holiday tradition of playing Mozart’s enchanting musical fairy tale.

Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Gift to Jazz with Jana Lee Ross

8 p.m., December 20
Jana Lee Ross presents a special filled with warm-hearted sounds to bring together everyone in the family. Vince Guaraldi‘s music to A Charlie Brown Christmas ushers in the sound of the holidays for jazz fans as well as Charlie Brown fans. Jana Lee Ross explores interpretations of Vince Guaraldi’s tunes by Cyrus Chestnut, Dianne Reeves, David Benoit and others. And of course we’ll hear from Vince Guaraldi himself.

Sunday Baroque Christmas

8 a.m., December 21
7 a.m., Christmas Day
This year’s Christmas program features a sparkling playlist for celebrating the season — beloved Christmas carols dating back to the Renaissance and Baroque eras, joyful Baroque Christmas concertos, and music that evokes the quiet beauty of the winter solstice.

In Winter's Glow

Noon & 7 p.m., December 21
This winter solstice program has modern classical sounds for the longest night of the year, chosen especially to compliment the chilly, starry nights of the season.

Hanukkah Lights

7 p.m., December 22
Bring some light to the dark winter days and start off Hanukkah with stories about family, friendships, menorahs, latkes, faith and miracles.

A Chanukah Celebration with Chicago a capella

8 p.m., December 22
Join Jonathan Miller, artistic director of Chicago a cappella and a longtime champion of Jewish choral music, for an inspiring and informative show featuring choral music set to Chanukah texts. All selections are performed by Chicago a cappella, the virtuoso vocal ensemble now in its 23rd season. Miller provides liturgical and cultural background as part of this unique look inside old and newer choral Chanukah traditions.

Winter Holidays Around the World with Bill McGlaughlin

11 a.m., December 23
8 p.m., Christmas Day
Winter holidays are celebrated around the world, and their music is wonderful to hear, regardless of which tradition you observe. Bill McGlaughlin’s hosts a spirited selection that celebrates multiple cultures.

Welcome Christmas

4 p.m., December 23
10 a.m., Christmas Day
Bonnie North hosts an hour of traditional carols and new discoveries performed by VocalEssence, one of the world's premier choral ensembles.

Nochebuena with The Spanish Hour

7 a.m., December 24
This hour features Christmas Eve traditions from 17th-century Mexico, a work of prophecy from 15th-century Valencia, and The Adoration, Part Four of Pablo Casals' oratorio El Pesebre in an historic recording conducted by Casals.

Christmas with Morehouse and Spelman Glee Clubs

8 a.m., December 24
3 p.m., Christmas Day
In one of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges — two of the most prestigious historically black institutions in the nation — get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. This presentation features their best works of the last several years. It's a joyous celebration of the schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

9 a.m. & 7 p.m., December 24
Since 1918, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has offered listeners an opportunity to share in a live, worldwide Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of biblical readings, carols and related seasonal classical music. This special event is presented by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys, and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the college’s 500-year-old chapel.

Christmas at Luther

11 a.m., December 24
2 p.m., Christmas Day
Christmas at Luther is a musical celebration of the Advent season featuring hundreds of student musicians.

A Choral Christmas with Stile Antico

Noon, December 24
4 p.m., Christmas Day
Celebrate Christmas with the sound of soaring voices. Stile Antico, the award-winning choir from London, pays a visit to St. Paul's Church on Harvard Square for a concert of radiant sacred music for the season by the most acclaimed composers of the renaissance.

A Chanticleer Christmas

1 p.m., December 24
11 a.m., Christmas Day
Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known as the “orchestra of voices” for its unparalleled range and abilities. This holiday season, the group brings its brand-new Christmas program featuring original arrangements of well-known tunes drawn from classical, jazz, and popular traditions.

Amahl and The Night Visitors

2 p.m., December 24
6 p.m., Christmas Day
Performed by the Des Moines Metro Opera, this one-act opera depicts the three wise men stopping for shelter at the home of a poor mother and her crippled son, Amahl, as they journey to find the newborn child.

A Spanish Renaissance Christmas

3 p.m., December 24
8 a.m., Christmas Day
The Spanish Siglo de Oro — Golden Age — witnessed an astonishing musical flowering. Enjoy works for the nativity by the greatest of Spain's composers from the 16th century.

Quad City Symphony's Holiday Brass

4 p.m., December 24
9 a.m., Christmas Day
Ring in the holiday season with members of the QCSO brass and percussion sections. Under the direction of Maestro Mark Russell Smith, the symphony performs uplifting selections of classical and holiday favorites.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival

5 p.m., December 24
Noon, Christmas Day
This festival includes hymns, carols, choral works, and orchestral selections celebrating the Nativity and featuring more than 500 student musicians in five choirs and the St. Olaf Orchestra.

Carols, Customs and Candlelight: a Celtic Christmas Celebration

7 p.m., Christmas Day
We’ll celebrate Christmas with Cristóbal de Morales’s six-voice Missa Si bona suscepimus, published in Rome in 1544 under his direct supervision, and not recorded commercially until the year 2000, featuring the Tallis Scholars. Festive Christmas dances and villancicos of the Mexican Baroque performed by the Rose Ensemble round out the program.

An Early Music Christmas from Spain and Mexico from The Spanish Hour

7 p.m., Christmas Day
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. Host Andrea Blain explores music and customs that have roots in ancient winter celebrations and traditional Christmas festivals.

Doug Brown's Reading of A Christmas Carol

8 p.m., December 27

Continuing an Iowa Public Radio tradition, the incomparable Doug Brown reads Dickens’ holiday classic.

Our Common Nature

11 a.m., December 30
After a career spent inside concert halls and recording studios, Yo-Yo Ma had never spent much time in nature. That changed four years ago as he began travelling across the United States, inspired by the idea that our music, stories, and traditions — our culture — can remind us that we are part of nature and reunite us in pursuit of a common future. In Our Common Nature, host Ana González explores the sounds, stories, and communities encountered that remind us that, in Yo-Yo’s words, “we are part of nature … to love each other is to love our planet.”

The Sound of Cinnamon

1 p.m., December 30
Jake Armerding invites you to experience coziness and contentment with a hygge soundtrack perfect for finding your favorite pair of slippers and putting your feet up.

The Magic of Joe Hisaishi

11 a.m., New Year's Eve
For 40 years, Studio Ghibli’s world-class animated films have enchanted global audiences. In particular, Joe Hisaishi’s unforgettable soundtracks have made tangible the experiences of childlike wonder, high octane adventure, and the joy of companionship. Join us as we celebrate the legacy (and 75th birthday) of this legendary composer.

New Year's Day from Vienna

10 a.m., New Year's Day
The ever popular annual New Year’s Day concert will be performed by the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Yannick Nezet-Seguim in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna. Hosted by WBUR's Lisa Mullins.

Orchestra Iowa's Carmina Burana

Noon, New Year's Day
Orchestra Iowa performs Carl Orff’s vocal masterwork, a cantata based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana.

Holiday Specials & Traditions on IPR News

The holidays bring us so many great stories and allows us to share our favorites with the ones we love. Starting on Hannukah and continuing through the new year, IPR has several opportunities to hear classic public radio stories.

Hannukah Lights

5 p.m., December 14 on IPR News (AM)

Bring some light to the dark winter days and start off Hanukkah with stories about family, friendships, menorahs, latkes, faith and miracles.

Doug Brown's Reading of A Christmas Carol

9 a.m., December 24 on all IPR News stations and again at 7 p.m. on IPR AM stations

Continuing an Iowa Public Radio tradition, the incomparable Doug Brown reads Dickens’ holiday classic.

Selected Shorts: What You Wish For

Noon, December 24 on all IPR News stations

7 p.m., December 25 on IPR AM stations

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three Christmas stories in different moods — satirical, fantastical, and nostalgic.

Tinsel Tales 1

9 a.m., December 25 on all IPR News stations and again at 8 p.m. on IPR AM stations

Host Meg Wolitzer presents three Christmas stories in different moods — satirical, fantastical, and nostalgic.

Tinsel Tales 2 & 3

10 a.m., December 25 on all IPR News stations

NPR voice of Christmas past and Christmas present, tell stories of the season. Some you may remember, some you'll hear for the first time.

Tinsel Tales 4: Christmas Stories Told Through Song

Noon, December 25 on all IPR News stations

The Tinsel Tales tradition continues — this time, through interviews with musicians about their Christmas albums.

Our Common Nature

10 a.m., January 1 on all IPR News stations and again at 7 p.m. on IPR AM stations

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma journeys in search of music and stories that celebrate our connection with the natural world and the people who inhabit it.

Remembered from The Current

Noon, January 1 on all IPR News stations and again at 8 p.m. on IPR AM stations

A musical tribute to the life, music and legacy of artists we lost this year.

Holiday Music on Studio One

Studio One joins the celebration with a series of specials featuring music you may not hear in your typical holiday rotation.

2025 Remembered from The Current

1 p.m., December 23

8 p.m., December 30
A musical tribute to the life, music and legacy of artists we lost this year.

The Big Tiny Desk Concert Holiday Special

7 p.m., December 24

Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.

A World Cafe Holiday

8 p.m., December 24

World Cafe celebrates 30 years by revisiting special holiday performances from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, Andrew Bird, The Bird and The Bee, Pink Martini, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more.

The All Songs Considered Holiday Extravaganza

9 p.m., December 24

Robin Hilton and Stephen Thomson head back to the snowy cabin in the woods where the annual All Songs Considered get-togethers began many years ago. Join us as we attempt to throw another party for the ages, with one simple, fate-tempting question: What could possibly go wrong?