Include Colorado Public Radio in your holiday traditions with music and stories that fit to the season. CPR offers a little something for everyone this December.
Explore what's on tap for the holidays below and help us curate special holiday programming for CPR Classical and CPR's OpenAir. Vote for your favorite Christmas carols in the “Carol Countdown” and this year's best albums with the “Listener Poll 2017.”
CPR Holiday Program Guide
CPR CLASSICAL December 1 | 2 p.m. | Classical Chat: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” Conductor Scott O’Neil shares the story behind the classic Christmas song and why it matters today. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 2 | 3 p.m. | The Nutcracker A full performance and the story behind Tchaikovsky's complete Nutcracker ballet. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 5 | 7 p.m. | Christmas With The Colorado Symphony A special program of orchestral holiday favorites, recorded live at Boettcher Concert Hall. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 6 | Noon | CPR Christmas Carolers Join CPR Classical on Facebook Live for a caroling session in the CPR Performance studio. 7 p.m. | A John Rutter Christmas An hour of music and conversation with the beloved choral composer, who will share insights into the making of his favorite Christmas pieces. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 7 | 7 p.m. | Welcome Christmas! A one-hour special with joyful holiday music hosted by Minnesota Public Radio’s John Birge. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 8 | 2 p.m. | Scott O'Neil Shares a Holiday Memory A holiday edition of the insightful Classical Chats series from the conductor and lecturer. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 9 | 10:30 a.m. | Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” The Metropolitan Opera presents a full performance of the holiday favorite, featuring Nathan Gunn as Papageno. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 10 | 6 a.m. | A John Rutter Christmas An hour of music and conversation with the beloved choral composer, who will share insights into the making of his favorite Christmas pieces. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 11 | 10 a.m. | Christmas with the Colorado Symphony Brass A special program of holiday favorites, recorded live at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Repeated at 6 p.m 7 p.m. | Benjamin Britten: ‘Ceremony of Carols’ A holiday edition of “The Big Idea,” exploring an ambitious masterwork. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 12 | 8 a.m. | Eight Nights of Chanukah The sounds and stories of Chanukah, presented in five-minute vignettes. Repeats at 4 p.m. 7 p.m. | Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘Hodie’ A holiday edition of “The Big Idea,” exploring an ambitious masterwork. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 12 | Continuous OpenAir Holiday Music Enjoy 13 days of holiday music celebrating the season. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 13 | 1 p.m. | Carol Countdown Three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR Classical listeners. 6 p.m. | Colorado Spotlight: Richard Toensing A special edition of “Colorado Spotlight” featuring the sacred Christmas work by Colorado composer Richard Toensing. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 14 | 8 a.m. | Eight Nights of Chanukah The sounds and stories of Chanukah, presented in five-minute vignettes. Repeats at 4 p.m. 11 a.m. | A John Rutter Christmas An hour of music and conversation with the beloved choral composer, who will share insights into the making of his favorite Christmas pieces. 7 p.m. | Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ A holiday edition of “The Big Idea,” exploring an ambitious masterwork. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 14 | 3 p.m. | Collector's Crossroads: Christmas Special A one-hour special of seasonal B-sides and out-of-print rarities. |
CPR NEWS December 14 | 10 a.m. | Hanukkah Lights 2017 This hour-long special features a collection of Hanukkah tales hosted by NPR's Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz. Repeats at 7 p.m. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 15 | 2 p.m. | CPR Classical's Beethoven Birthday Party Celebrate the birthday of one of history's most brilliant composers. Recorded live at Boettcher Concert Hall. 8 p.m. | Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party Hear favorite Chanukah recordings and the story of the Jewish festival of lights, hosted by the famous violinist. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 16 | 7:55 a.m. | Eight Nights of Chanukah The sounds and stories of Chanukah, presented in five-minute vignettes. 8 a.m. | Carol Countdown Three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR Classical listeners. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 16 | 5 p.m. | Retrofit Holiday Rarities Enjoy an edgy take on holiday music from the 1950's. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 17 | 7:55 a.m. | Eight Nights of Chanukah The sounds and stories of Chanukah, presented in five-minute vignettes. Repeats at 9:55 a.m. and 4 p.m. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 18 | 1 p.m. | The Nutcracker A full performance and the story behind Tchaikovsky's complete Nutcracker ballet 7 p.m. | Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party Hear favorite Chanukah recordings and the story of the Jewish festival of lights, hosted by the famous violinist. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 19 | 9 a.m. | Carol Countdown Three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR Classical listeners. 7 p.m. | Advent Voices An hour of music inspired by Advent. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 20 | 4 p.m. | Christmas with the Colorado Children’s Chorale An encore of the group’s 2016 concert. 7 p.m. | Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir A one-hour special of holiday music. |
CPR NEWS December 20 | 10 a.m. | The Colorado Matters Holiday Extravaganza 2017 Celebrate the holidays with a Colorado Matters special, featuring performances by local artists Isaac Slade, Jayme Stone, Danette Hollowell and more. Repeats at 7 p.m. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 21 | 2 p.m. | A John Rutter Christmas An hour of music and conversation with the beloved choral composer, who will share insights into the making of his favorite Christmas pieces. 7 p.m. | Welcome Christmas! A one-hour special with joyful holiday music hosted by Minnesota Public Radio’s John Birge. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 22 | 3 p.m. | Carol Countdown Three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR Classical listeners. 7 p.m. | Handel’s ‘Messiah’ with the Colorado Symphony Music director Brett Mitchell leads the orchestra in a performance of Handel's enduring masterwork. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 23 | 3 p.m. | Christmas With The Colorado Symphony A special program of orchestral holiday favorites, recorded live at Boettcher Concert Hall. 7 p.m. | A 'Music Forward' Christmas A holiday-themed episode of our weekly exploration of music from the 20th and 21st centuries. |
CPR NEWS December 23 | 4 p.m. | The Colorado Matters Holiday Extravaganza 2017 Celebrate the holidays with a Colorado Matters special, featuring performances by local artists Isaac Slade, Jayme Stone, Danette Hollowell and more. 5 p.m. | The Colorado Matters Holiday Extravaganza 2016 Revisit last year's holiday special, featuring Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves and rising country star Clare Dunn. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 23 | 6 p.m. | Collector's Crossroads: Christmas Special A one-hour special of seasonal B-sides and out-of-print rarities. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 24 | 8 a.m. | A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Annual celebration from King's College in Cambridge, England featuring carols and readings from the Bible. 10 a.m. | A Chanticleer Christmas A one-hour choral celebration of the season featuring the voices of this renowned choir from San Francisco. 3 p.m. | A John Rutter Christmas An hour of music and conversation with the beloved choral composer, who will share insights into the making of his favorite Christmas pieces. 4 p.m. | The Nutcracker A full performance and the story behind Tchaikovsky's complete Nutcracker ballet. 6 p.m. | A Candlelight Christmas Enjoy 30 continuous hours of holiday music on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. |
CPR NEWS December 24 | 10 a.m. | The Colorado Matters Holiday Extravaganza 2017 Celebrate the holidays with a Colorado Matters special, featuring performances by local artists Isaac Slade, Jayme Stone, Danette Hollowell and more. 11 a.m. | The Colorado Matters Holiday Extravaganza 2016 Revisit last year's holiday special, featuring Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves and rising country star Clare Dunn. 7 p.m. | Carol Countdown Three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR Classical listeners. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 24 | 12 p.m. | Retrofit Holiday Rarities Enjoy this unique collection of holiday tunes. 4 p.m. | A Very Hipster Christmas One hour of modern holiday tunes from non-mainstream bands. 5 p.m. | Alt 50s Christmas An edgy take on holiday music from the 1950's that includes rock n roll, my baby left me blues, and lyrics about space travel and Cold War paranoia. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 25 | 9 a.m. | Christmas with the Colorado Children’s Chorale A brand-new recording of the young singers’ holiday concert. 11 a.m. | Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir A one-hour special of holiday music. Noon | Carol Countdown David Rutherford hosts three hours of Colorado's favorite holiday music, as selected by CPR listeners. |
CPR NEWS December 25 | 10 a.m. | Tinsel Tales 4, 2017 NPR collects some of its favorite Christmas stories from the archives into an hour-long special. Repeats at 7 p.m. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 25 | All Day | Merry Marathon Enjoy a mix of holiday music beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve through midnight on Christmas Day. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 29 | 12 p.m. | Mile High Noon: Best Of 2017 Alisha Sweeney hosts this year-end edition of “Mile High Noon,” highlighting the top releases of 2017 from the Colorado music scene. 5 p.m. | Dearly Departed A series of Colorado artists performing the music of artists who passed away this year. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 30 | 12 p.m. | Mile High Noon: Best Of 2017 Alisha Sweeney hosts this year-end edition of “Mile High Noon,” highlighting the top releases of 2017 from the Colorado music scene. 5 p.m. | Retrofit: Bye Bye 2017 Mike Flanagan hosts a special episode remembering musical artists who left us in the past year. |
CPR CLASSICAL December 31 | 5 p.m. | Beethoven Bash Ring in the New Year with all nine Beethoven symphonies, including the "Ode to Joy" from Symphony No. 9 at midnight. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR December 31 | 12 p.m. | Retrofit: Bye Bye 2017 Mike Flanagan hosts a special episode remembering musical artists who left us in the past year. 7 p.m. | New Year's Eve: Dance Yourself Clean Say goodbye to another year with a soundtrack of favorite dance songs from CPR's OpenAir. 11 p.m. | New Year's Revolution An hour of New Year's music from all genres and for all tastes, including a mix of rarities, favorites and a bit of nostalgia. |
CPR CLASSICAL January 1 | 9 a.m. | New Year's Day Live From Vienna Ring in the New Year with the Vienna Philharmonic, a beloved annual tradition. |
CPR'S OPEN AIR January 1 | 12 a.m. | Retrofit: Bye Bye 2017 Mike Flanagan hosts a special episode remembering musical artists who left us in the past year. 6 a.m. | Listeners Poll 2017 An all-day playlist of top albums of the year, voted on by CPR’s OpenAir listeners. 6 p.m. | Dearly Departed A series of Colorado artists performing the music of artists who passed away this year. |
