All Classical Radio is bringing you a soundtrack for the season that is sure to warm your heart this winter. As we look forward to another year of sharing music, comfort, and joy over the airwaves, we invite you to join us for beloved musical traditions and festive special programs.
Tune in at 89.9 FM in Portland or worldwide via our live player for seasonal favorites and handcrafted playlists to keep your holidays merry and bright. It’s all made possible by your generous support, and we are truly grateful. Please consider donating today to keep the music playing.
YOUR SOUNDTRACK FOR THE SEASON
Vote now in the Classical Countdown
Tune in Wednesday, December 31st
Vote now for your favorite works to help craft our New Year’s Eve playlist.
Then, tune in to All Classical Radio on December 31st beginning at 7:00 AM PT, to hear a celebratory playlist put together by you! Throughout the day, we will count down some of the highest voted selections of 2025, and broadcast the winning piece at midnight. It’s a perfect way to ring in the New Year, with your favorite music and friends on the radio.
All Classical Radio’s Classical Countdown is generously sponsored by Music Millennium.
Hanukkah
Beginning sundown on December 14th – 22nd
All Classical Radio celebrates the Festival of Lights with traditional melodies, festive dances, and more shared by hosts throughout Hanukkah.
Enjoy traditional Hanukkah music, including I Have a Little Dreydle, Maor Tzur (Rock of Ages), Oy Chanukkah (Chassidic Melody for Hanukkah), and more. You will also hear works by classical Jewish composers, including David Weintraub, Hugo Adler, Leo Low, and more.
Holiday Happy Hour
Friday, December 19th | 5:00 PM PT
Hosted by Warren Black & Christa Wessel
Join Warren and Christa for a special holiday edition of Friday Happy Hour, featuring new takes on festive tunes, a sneak peek of what’s ahead on All Classical for the holiday season, and more of your favorite classical music… with a merry twist!
First Day of Winter
Sunday, December 21st
All Classical Radio welcomes the season on the Winter Solstice with music evoking the shortest day of the year, and the promise of the return of the light. Plus, join us for your favorite weekend programs including Sunday Brunch, Played in Oregon, and The Score.
Handel’s Messiah
Sunday, December 21st | 8:00 PM PT
Artistic Director Julian Perkins leads Portland Baroque Orchestra and the Cappella Romana chorus in George Frideric Handel’s beloved oratorio.
Festival of Carols
December 22nd – 25th
A treasured tradition for so many, All Classical Radio’s Festival of Carols returns with four days of cherished seasonal music from cultures around the world, curated to lift your spirit and warm your heart. Highlights include Christmastime classics, excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Handel’s Messiah, alongside new releases and all-time favorite carols.
The Festival of Carols also includes a live broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge, UK on December 24th at 7:00 AM PT.
All Classical Radio’s Festival of Carols is generously sponsored by AniChe Cellars, Rose Villa, and Parkview at Terwilliger Plaza.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge
Wednesday, December 24th | 7:00 AM PT
Join us on the radio for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, broadcasting LIVE from King’s College, Cambridge in England. This program was first introduced to King’s College on Christmas Eve 1918 to offer solace to people who were distressed, exhausted, and bereaved at the end of the First World War. Though not invented at King’s College, it was introduced by then Dean, Eric Milner-White, who wrote his own intro to set the scene for the reading of the lessons and singing of the carols.
Learn more at kings.cam.ac.uk.
This live broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is part of All Classical Radio’s beloved Festival of Carols.
Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert
Thursday, January 1, 2026 | 8:00 AM PT
Connecting communities through music locally and globally, All Classical Radio will kick off 2026 with a live broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert. The acclaimed orchestra will share lively and nostalgic music to usher in the New Year, under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna.
The program consists of music from the vast repertoire of the Strauss family and their contemporaries. Learn more at wienerphilharmoniker.at/en.
ICAN RADIO
The Cinnamon Bear
November 28th – January 6th
Daily at 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM PT
A Portland tradition since 1937, the six-week-long radio series tells the tale of Paddy O’Cinnamon (the Cinnamon Bear), as he counts down to Christmas. The Cinnamon Bear is narrated by Bud Hiestand, with songs composed by Don Honrath and conducted by Felix Mills, lyrics by Glanville Heisch, and vocals by the Paul Taylor Quartet.
Listen at icanradio.org.
THANK YOU
All Classical Radio’s 2025 holiday programming is made possible by your generous support and these local sponsors. Thank you to AniChe Cellars Winery and Tasting Room, Rose Villa, Terwilliger Plaza, and Music Millennium for supporting the music.
