Here is a chronological list of our 2024 holiday specials on WPSU-FM.
Friday, December 20
“Jazzmas” on WPSU
10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20
WPSU celebrates “Jazzmas,” with two hours of holiday jazz hosted by Greg Petersen. Standards from Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and others will mix and mingle with new sounds from Samara Joy, Michael Bublé, Jon Batiste and more. It’s the perfect time to have an eggnog and wrap those last-minute presents.
Saturday, December 21
The Local Groove Holiday Edition
9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21
Join the Local Groove to hear holiday songs from your favorite bands in central and northern Pennsylvania, plus an annual Groove tradition: John Vickers Jones' reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” by Clement Clarke Moore.
Sunday, December 22
The Holiday Folk Show
10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22
The Folk Show will feature holiday music from folk, acoustic, world, bluegrass and other traditional genres. The music will celebrate the winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, with a nod to New Year’s.
Tuesday, December 24
Holiday Music from WPSU
9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24
WPSU's Kristine Allen hosts a mix of eclectic holiday tunes, including classical music, folk, jazz and more.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24
"A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" is the annual Christmas Eve broadcast of a service of Biblical readings, carols and related seasonal Classical music. This celebration will be presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England.
Holiday Music from WPSU
12 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24
WPSU's Kristine Allen hosts two hours of eclectic holiday tunes, including classical music, folk, jazz and more.
Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus
2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 25
In 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.
Hanukkah Lights 2024
3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24
This NPR favorite returns with some of our favorite stories from the archives. We’ll hear “Gifts of the Last Night” by Rebecca Goldstein, “Hanukkah Gelt, Hanukkah Money” by Sholem Aleichem, “Gifts of the Jewish Magi” by Allegra Goodman, How to Spell the Name of God” by Ellen Orleans and “Geek Week by Rebecca O’Connell.
A Christmas Carol from Penn State
6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, and 12 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Join us for a re-broadcast of a special Penn State School of Theatre and Centre Stage event, performed at the Playhouse Theatre at University Park in 2023. Hear Rick Lombardo’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," as a 1941 radio play, performed this season by professional artists in the School of Theatre’s faculty, along with students and members of the local community.
Handel’s Messiah from the Pittsburgh Symphony
8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec.24
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Manfred Honeck, performs Handel’s beloved oratorio, “Messiah,” with soloists and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
A Chanticleer Christmas
10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Hear holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the superb 12-man ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices." Chanticleer is one of the premiere vocal ensembles in the nation. The ensemble has won two Grammys and is a member of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, December 25
Holiday Music from WPSU
9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
WPSU's Kristine Allen hosts two hours of eclectic holiday tunes, including classical music, folk, jazz and more.
A Chanticleer Christmas
10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Hear holiday favorites, new and old, presented live in concert by Chanticleer, the superb 12-man ensemble known as "an orchestra of voices." Chanticleer is one of the premiere vocal ensembles in the nation. The ensemble has won two Grammys and is a member of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
Holiday Music from WPSU
11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
WPSU's Kristine Allen hosts two hours of eclectic holiday tunes, including classical music, folk, jazz and more.
A Special Thistle & Shamrock Christmas
12 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Join Fiona Ritchie for a winter walk along the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, accompanied by music from the Celtic Christmas repertoire. Among restored riverside woodlands, Fiona finds her favorite bench and sits there to reflect upon the scenes of midwinter. The location inspires seasonal tales, joyful songs, and tunes of rare beauty, with guitarist Tim Edey, singer Emily Smith and more.
Carols, Customs and Candlelight: A Celtic Christmas Celebration
1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
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.
A Christmas Carol from Penn State
2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Join us for a re-broadcast of a special Penn State School of Theatre and Centre Stage event, performed at the Playhouse Theatre at University Park in 2023. Hear Rick Lombardo’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," as a 1941 radio play, performed this season by professional artists in the School of Theatre’s faculty, along with students and members of the local community.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Join us for this re-broadcast of the Christmas Eve broadcast, featuring a service of Biblical readings, carols and related seasonal Classical music. This celebration will be presented by one of the world’s foremost choirs of men and boys and performed in an acoustically and architecturally renowned venue, the 500-year-old Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, England.
Your Classical Christmas Favorites
8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
Join us this holiday season as we count down the top Christmas songs as voted on by listeners around the country in a one-hour special hosted by Tom Crann and Valerie Kahler from Your Classical.
Three Tales of Christmas with Cantus
9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
In 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.
All Is Bright
10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 25
"All Is Bright," with host Lynne Warfel, offers an hour of gorgeous, contemplative choral music that tells the traditional Christmas story with songs about angels, the star and the manger scene.
Saturday, December 28
A Hanukkah Celebration with Chicago a cappella
4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28
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 Hanukkah texts. All selections are performed by Chicago a cappella, the virtuoso vocal ensemble now in its 23rd season. Jonathan Miller provides liturgical and cultural background as part of this unique look inside old and newer choral Hanukkah traditions.
Tuesday, December 31
2024 Remembered from The Current
8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31
This special two-hour program from The Current, a public radio station in Minnesota, honors the life, music and legacy of artists we lost in 2024. 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 of the Nation
10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31
An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is a perfect soundtrack for your celebration. It's four hours of festive jazz you can party to, all night long.