Saturday, December 17:
Hannukkah Lights 2022
Saturday, December 17, 6:00 p.m.
This NPR favorite returns with the best of the best Hanukkah Lights stories from the last 30 years, hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
Friday, December 23:
Jazz Night in America: a Holiday Celebration
Friday, December 23, 10:00 p.m.
This year's Jazz Night in America holiday special will feature drummer Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, a ruckus band recorded at Jazz at Lincoln Center that flip seasonal songs on their head while inserting humor and joyful swing, and new takes on classics in this special episode. Christian McBride hosts.
Jazz Piano Christmas 2022
Friday, December 23, 11:00 p.m.
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.
Saturday, December 24:
Living on Earth
Saturday, December 24, 6:00 a.m.
Living on Earth brings us their annual holiday episode.
Travel with Rick Steves
Saturday, December 24, 7:00 a.m.
Rick Steves offers a holiday edition of his weekly travel show.
A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols
Saturday, December 24, 10:00 a.m. with a repeat Sunday, December 24, 6:00 p.m.
Join us for the annual 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, performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England.
Holiday Music
Saturday, December 24, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Before and after the Metropolitan Opera’s 1:00 p.m. broadcast of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” stay with WPSU for a wide variety of holiday music.
Christmas Memories with Dee Alexander
Saturday, December 24, 6:00 p.m
Christmas is time for celebration, family, and togetherness. And although the weather outside may be cold, Dee Alexander’s music and stories are sure to keep you warm and hopeful through the holiday season. In this special, Dee shares songs that inspire celebration and spark nostalgia for the holiday, spinning classics like Nat King Cole’s "The Christmas Song" and Mahalia Jackson’s "No Room at the Inn."
American Routes
Saturday, December 24, 7:00 p.m
Host Nick Spitzer brings you an eclectic mix of American music in a special holiday edition of the show.
The Local Groove
Saturday, December 24, 9:00 p.m
Musicians with roots in central and northern Pennsylvania offer seasonal tunes in this holiday edition of WPSU’s local music showcase.
Memphis Ukulele Band Christmas
Saturday, December 24, 10:00 p.m
Beale Street Caravan features the Memphis Ukulele Band as they help us celebrate Christmas. We’ll hear a performance captured at Lafayette's Music Hall, and later in the program we get to sit down and catch up with the band. Grammy nominated blues man, Guy Davis, will be with us to deliver an installment of the Blues Hall of Fame, an exploration of the lives of the pioneers and innovators enshrined in the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, brought to you by the Blues Foundation.
Holiday Music
Saturday, December 24, 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Join WPSU for a wide variety of holiday music.
Sunday, December 25:
Holiday Music
Sunday, December 25, 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Join WPSU for a wide variety of holiday music.
Living on Earth
Sunday, December 25, 10:00 a.m.
Living on Earth brings us their annual holiday episode.
The Canadian Brass: Christmas Time is Here
Sunday, December 25, 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon, this program features arrangements of music by Vince Guaraldi and Luther Henderson as well as traditional favorites from "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman" and more – timeless classics infused with jazz and lush harmonies.
Christmas with the King’s Singers
Sunday, December 25, 12:00 p.m.
It’s an a cappella Christmas from England with the King’s Singers, one of the world’s most celebrated vocal ensembles. In an exclusive New York appearance recorded at The Greene Space, this male sextet — consummate entertainers with a delightfully British wit — perform timeless carols, Christmas classics and new arrangements in their impeccable vocal blend. WQXR’s Jeff Spurgeon hosts.
Holiday Music
Sunday, December 25, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Join WPSU for a wide variety of holiday music.
A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols
Sunday, December 25, 6:00 p.m.
Join us for a rebroadcast of the annual 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, performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England.
A Mountain Stage Holiday
Sunday, December 25, 8:00 p.m.
Join Mountain Stage host Larry Groce for an hour filled with beautiful music to mark the season. The show features special guests Holly Cole, Joan Baez, Bruce Cockburn, Loudon Wainwright III, The Roches, Kathy Mattea and more. All performances were recorded live on the Mountain Stage.
Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas
Sunday, December 25, 9:00 p.m.
Mark O’Connor, famous bluegrass fiddler and respected American composer, leads the O’Connor Band and special guest Nancy Ives, principal cellist of the Oregon Symphony, in An Appalachian Christmas . Hear holiday favorites including “The Cherry Tree Carol,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” and more.
Apollo's Fire presents Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain: An Irish-Appalachian Celebration
Sunday, December 25, 10:00 p.m.
In this one-hour special, the listener is transported from Christmas Eve in medieval Scotland to the folk carols and shape‐note hymns at a toe‐tapping Christmas gathering in Virginia. The people of the Appalachian Mountains welcome Christmas with love, singing, dancing, and prayer.
Holiday Music
Sunday, December 25, 11:00 p.m.
Join WPSU for a wide variety of holiday music.
Saturday, December 31:
2022 Remembered from The Current
Saturday, December 31, 6:00 p.m.
Join The Current in honoring the life, music, and legacy of artists we lost this year with 2022 Remembered from The Current. This hour-long 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.
From musicians and producers to industry icons, the playlist will feature legends like Ronnie Spector, Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Olivia Newton-John, Meat Loaf, Naomi Judd, Lamont Dozier (Motown Songwriter), and many more. Host Jill Riley will highlight milestones in each artist's life and career, explore their lasting impact on the music world, and spin their most beloved songs.
Toast of the Nation
Saturday, December 31, 9:00 p.m. to Sunday, January 1, 1:00 a.m.
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is festive jazz for New Year’s Eve. Hear sets from Ibrahim Maalouf, Lizz Wright, Ranky Tanky and Chucho Valdés.
