We hope these specials will make your season bright! Listen at 90.5 WUOL, on the LPM app, and on your smart speaker.
December 22 - 10 p.m.
Winter Wind Festival: WUOL's Colleen Wheelahan celebrates the beginning of winter with music, old and new, for wind ensemble. This special is secular, for late December, but includes touches of holiday music.
December 23 - 8 p.m.
A Jane Austen Christmas Musicale: Step into the Regency era this Christmas, as book lovers everywhere are also celebrating the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. This immersive program features the carols her heroines would have enjoyed, along with music from Austen’s own collection. Austen’s own descriptions of the holiday from her letters and her novels will set the scene.
December 23 - 10 p.m.
St. Olaf Christmas Festival: For one and a 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.
December 24 - 10 a.m. & 10 p.m.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King's College Chapel. The service was introduced in 1918 to bring a more imaginative approach to worship. It was first broadcast in 1928 and is now broadcast to millions of people.
December 24 - 2 p.m.
Ancient Carols: Join Laura Atkinson to go back in time… way back… to share in some of the oldest songs celebrating the season. Beginning in the 12th century, and moving through the Renaissance, we’ll listen to music by Hildegard von Bingen, William Byrd, Thomas Tallis and more.
December 25 - 2 p.m.
A Chanticleer Christmas: 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.
December 25 - 5 p.m.
Welcome Christmas!: 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.
January 1 - 11 a.m.
New Year's Day From Vienna 2026: 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.
