Holiday special programs are also reflected on KISU’s website program schedule at kisu.org/schedule.
December 21, 2024
Jazz Piano Christmas 6:00 pm
Check out your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them! This year, our annual sell-out event spotlights ferociously talented Japanese musical phenom Hiromi, Mountain Stage’s Bob Thompson, and Bolivian prodigy José André Montaño, chosen as one of the Kennedy Center’s “Next 50” leaders.
Don’t Call it Jazz Holiday Special
Jon Armstrong, Director of ISU’s Commercial Music Program and host of Don’t Call it Jazz invites local musicians for a fun holiday-bluegrass-themed performance and conversation.
Visit the Don't Call it Jazz page on KISU.org for instant access to audio of this program.
Joy to the World: A Holiday in Pink 8:00 pm
The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered's Ari Shapiro, and co-produced by OPB and Murray Street Productions.
Canadian Brass 9:00 pm
For over 40 years, the Canadian Brass has earned the distinction of “the world’s most famous brass group,” and for good reason! Their repertoire spans centuries and styles, from Baroque music to Dixieland, along with brand-new compositions and special arrangements of familiar favorites. Not to mention that each of their performances is sure to bring entertainment, spontaneity, virtuosity, and, most of all, fun – but never at the expense of the music.
Carols, Customs, and Candlelight: A Celtic Christmas Celebration 10:00 pm
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 well as traditional instruments like harp, fiddle, and mandolin.
December 22, 2024
Matt’s Movie Trax Holiday Special 11:00 am
Host Matt Davenport presents a collection of holiday movie favorites, curated for the holiday season.
Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites 8:00 pm
This year a radio tradition continues - stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk--these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season.
December 24, 2024
Tinsel Tales 2: NPR Christmas Favorites 6:00 pm
NPR fills millions of homes each holiday with humor, warmth, and a host of festive voices. Continuing with the tradition of first Tinsel Tales program, this is another collection of the best and most requested holiday stories. Joy, hope, and childhood memories overflow as NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.
Selected Shorts: Holiday Hitches 7:00 pm
We love the holidays, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. This seasonal special from SELECTED SHORTS, hosted by Meg Wolitzer, offers three tales about uncommon roads traveled by the celebrants. Writers, including Andy Borowitz, mesh tradition, humor, and family dynamics for the perfect seasonal package.
All Songs Considered Holiday Extravaganza 8:00 pm
NEW for 2024!! This year 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?
Afro Blue Christmas 11:00 pm
Here's a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue, and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. The acapella group performs a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire. The joyous celebration includes one-of-a-kind arrangements of traditional holiday songs plus new compositions... music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.
December 25, 2024
Christmas w/Morehouse & Spelman Glee Club 9:00 am
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 year's program features the best works of the last several years. It's a joyous celebration of the school's tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.
Choral Christmas with Stile Antico 10:00 am
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 Christmas season by the most acclaimed composers of the Renaissance. Hear the group's luminous blend of voices sing the intricately woven music of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. Hosted by Cathy Fuller of WGBH.
Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus 11:00 am
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 Hawai’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.
A Chanticleer Christmas 2:00 pm
This unique, one-hour program of holiday music is presented live in concert by Chanticleer. Hear why this superb 12-man ensemble is known as "an orchestra of voices," as they perform holiday classics and new favorites, with choral commentary by host Steve Staruch.
Tinsel Tales 3: NPR Christmas Favorites 6:00 pm
Listeners tune to NPR for extraordinary Christmas stories that transport you to unexpected places. Baxter Black ponders the meaning of Christmas for Cows, Bailey White sneaks into her neighbor’s yard in search of an elusive hemlock tree; Julie Zickefoose serenades her neighbors on the coldest night of the year.
Joy to the World with Maria Muldaur 7:00 pm
The unmistakable Maria Muldaur joins pianist Bob Thompson for some swinging holiday cheer.
Dead Air Christmas Special 8:00 pm
Jerry Christmas! Enjoy this Christmas-themed Grateful Dead program!
December 26, 2024
Big Tiny Desk Concert Holiday Special 3:00 pm
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.
December 27, 2024
Alternative School 2024 Alternative Artist Tribute 8:00 pm
This is CJ’s annual tribute show as shares music and remembers Alternative School artists who passed in 2024.
December 31, 2024
2024 Remembered from the Current 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join The Current in honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost this year with 2024 Remembered from The Current. This two-hour musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds - from indie to influential - and the perfect way for music lovers to unite in paying homage to the artists who have shaped music history.
Toast to the Nation from NPR 8:00 pm - 12:00 am
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's festive jazz you can party to, all night long. Sets TBA.
January 1, 2024
New Year’s Day from Vienna 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Vienna Philharmonic will perform their famous New Year's Day concert from the renowned Musikverein in Vienna on January 1, 2025. The concert will be conducted by Riccardo Muti, Music Director Emeritus of the Chicago Symphony, who has directed the Vienna Philharmonic more than 500 times since his debut in 1971. This will be his seventh New Year’s Day appearance, his first was in 1993.
