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YourClassical Christmas Favorites is back! This year, we’re taking the top 25 songs from last year as voted by you, our listeners, and are asking you to rank them so we can create the YourClassical Christmas Favorites special that will air in December. Vote now!


Holiday

It's time to rank YourClassical Christmas Favorites!

Here is a day-by-day guide to all of our special holiday programming for the 2024 season, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.


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2024 YourClassical Holiday Programming Schedule

Join us for ‘Songs of Thanks,’ an innovative new production by Cantus presenting stories and songs celebrating gratitude and community. Listen now — and then tell us why you’re thankful for next year’s program.


'Songs of Thanks' by Cantus

Cantus: What we're thankful for

Cantus: 'Songs of Thanks'

'Songs of Thanks' with Cantus

Randy Salas is the senior digital producer of classical music for Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media. He oversees all classical digital content, including the website, social media, videos, e-newsletters and podcasts.


Senior Digital Producer, Classical

Randy Salas

Enjoy classic music this Thanksgiving! Perfect for both music lovers and newcomers, these compositions will create an enjoyable ambiance for your holiday feast.


Thanksgiving Playlist

Thanksgiving Playlist: Classical Music for Holiday Meals - YourClassical MPR Playlist

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Top 12 Thanksgiving classical music pieces

John Birge has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.


John Birge

'Giving Thanks,' hosted by John Birge, is celebrating its 25th year on public radio! This year’s show presents the best moments of a quarter century of great guests amid the perfect atmosphere for Thanksgiving: the warmth of great music and truly memorable words.


Giving Thanks: 25th Anniversary Special, with John Birge - 2023

Giving Thanks: 25th Anniversary Special

'Giving Thanks' - 25th anniversary special

Thanksgiving is coming, but Lurkey the turkey is nowhere to be found. Can you help the farmer find the wayward bird? Grab paper and crayons and follow along as narrator Melanie Renate and artist Xee Reiter tell the story, with guitar music by Justin Holland, in the latest episode of YourClassical Storytime.


YourClassical Storytime - Lurkey is Lost 

YourClassical Storytime: Lurkey is Lost!

YourClassical Storytime - Lurkey Is Lost! 

YourClassical Storytime

Xee Reiter for MPR

'Lurkey Is Lost!'

Longtime music host and performer Andrea Blain presents classical music programming including national specials, opera and other live broadcasts and holiday programs. She also is part of a team that works on content and scripting for ‘Rhapsody in Black’ and has voiced several episodes of YourClassical Storytime.


Andrea Blain

On Thanksgiving, host Andrea Blain and classical music fans from all around the country take time to give thanks and celebrate one of life's most meaningful gifts: music. It's ‘Every Good Thing’ — an hour of stories and music to celebrate Thanksgiving.


Every Good Thing

'Every Good Thing'

Steve Seel is the host of YourClassical’s weekly SymphonyCast and the trailblazing music show Extra Eclectic. He possesses a broad knowledge of many musical genres, having hosted radio programs ranging from classical to jazz and even avant-garde music at radio stations around the country. Steve began his love affair with public radio at 24 working whatever shifts he could at his hometown station of WUSF-FM in Tampa, Florida, and from there worked his way to snowy Buffalo, New York, and its renowned classical station WNED-FM, where he hosted middays and the weekly experimental-music show Present Tense.  In 2005, Steve became one of the founding voices on Minnesota Public Radio's eclectic station, the Current. While there, he hosted afternoons and mornings, and conducted in-depth interviews with pop music luminaries ranging from Brian Eno to David Byrne to Tori Amos. Steve is a basement composer obsessed with all things both minimalist and slow, and might actually be incapable of writing anything that exceeds 75 beats-per-minute.


Steve Seel

This episode of ‘Extra Eclectic’ presents a cornucopia of works on themes of America, travel, autumn and the idea of home. Bill Morelock is the guest host. 


A Thanksgiving Meditation

Extra Eclectic

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Lynne has been at this radio thing since 1984 when she fell into an historic job at KFAC AM and FM, the commercial classical station in Los Angeles.  She was the first woman staff announcer in the station's history, and it was such big news back then, it made the LA newspapers and national radio publications.  She is thrilled women in radio is no longer newsworthy.


Lynne Warfel

On Saturday Cinema, I mentioned in passing that my sons, Peter and Joshua, and I had a list of Christmas films we watched in a certain order. In response to the many listener requests I’ve received, here’s our list, starting with ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’


Saturday Cinema

20th Century Fox

Lynne Warfel shares her Christmas movie watch list

Cynthia Dickison

What is the story behind Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ and why is it performed at both Christmas and Easter? Here’s everything you need to know about this enduring holiday masterpiece, including the best recordings.
