The Evening Concert on Illinois Classical
ILLINOIS CLASSICAL: The Evening Concert: DECEMBER 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19, 2025
(please email trauth@illinois.edu for details of program content)
Sunday, December 14, 6:00 pm: Chamber Mus. Soc. of Lincoln Center (CMS 26-13)
PRE-EMPTED FOR A HOLIDAY PROGRAM:
Millennium of Music: MoM 25-49: Veni Redemptor Gentium (New to IL Classical)
New York-based early music ensemble Concordian Dawn presents Veni Redemptor Gentium (Avie Records #2813, rel. 21NOV25), a joyful and introspective celebration of the Christmas season.
Sunday, December 14, 7:00 pm: Fiesta! With Elbio Barilari (FST 25-38)
PRE-EMPTED FOR A HOLIDAY PROGRAM:
The Spanish Hour with Candice Agree 2551: A Spanish Renaissance Christmas (New to IL Classical)
The latest addition to The Spanish Hour’s Christmas specials: selections from Stile Antico's "A Spanish Nativity" (Harmonia Mundi 902312, rel. 25OCT19).
Monday, December 15, 7:00 pm: The New York Philharmonic (NYP 26-13)
PRE-EMPTED FOR TWO HOLIDAY PROGRAMS:
Itzhak Perlman’s Chanukah Radio Party (New to IL Classical)
Itzhak Perlman invites you to his Chanukah Radio Party. Join the superstar violinist as he tells the story of the Jewish festival of lights, and shares his favorite recordings for the holiday – some serious, some silly. (2014)
Hanukkah Lights 2025 (New to IL Classical)
This NPR favorite returns with some of our favorite stories from the archives. We’ll hear “A Gift of Light" by Dvora Zipkin, “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.
Tuesday, December 16, 7:00 pm: Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO 25-51)
PRE-EMPTED FOR TWO HOLIDAY PROGRAMS:
Wind & Rhythm Christmas Special (Last broadcast on IL Classical 2023)
Back in 1946, in the middle of a heat wave in Washington DC, the chief of the Scandinavian Desk of Military Intelligence dreamed up a piece of music that took him a couple of years to complete. Did you know that Leroy Anderson worked at the Pentagon at the end of World War 2? The piece he wrote, Sleigh Bells. (2013)
Jingle Them (Last broadcast on IL Classical 2023)
Emmy Award winner Julie Giroux worked in Hollywood for years and her credits are formidable. When she thought of giving Christmas gifts to the high rollers in the film and television industry, she came up with a unique approach... she wrote Christmas carol arrangements, just for them. (Klavier 77043 rel. 02OCT12)
Wednesday, December 17, 7:00 pm: Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAP 25-11)
PRE-EMPTED FOR TWO HOLIDAY PROGRAMS:
A Handel & Haydn Society Christmas
Celebrate the season with this hour-long special featuring Christmas choral music from America’s oldest continuously performing ensemble, Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society. (rel. 2014)
A Rochester Festival of Lessons and Carols 2025
One of the most beloved traditions of the holiday season is the Festival of Lessons and Carols, a service made famous at King’s College in Cambridge, England. The Festival tells the Christmas story in words and music, and is presented all over the world in many languages and variations.
Thursday, December 18, 7:00 pm: Prairie Performances with Mel Miller (Holiday-themed)
Friday, December 19, 7:00 pm: Heifetz On Air 142
PRE-EMPTED FOR A HOLIDAY PROGRAM:
A Christmas Carol w/Jonathan Winters
A public radio tradition updated this year with NPR host Lisa Simeone. Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents a distinctive reading of Dickens' holiday classic, with a special performing edition prepared by Dickens for his own presentations. Also featuring Mimi Kennedy. From NPR and KCRW.
