Holiday Central | WFMT

Happy Holidays from WFMT!

Immerse yourself in the holidays here, your home for spirited playlists, videos, and stories. And don't miss an in-depth guide to festive Chicago-area events and performances and the full lineup of WFMT holiday programming!

Highlights

Chicago Theatre marquee in snowfall, out of focus string lights

Chicago Holiday Arts Calendar: Enchanting Concerts, Events, Spectacles, and more!

joffrey nutcracker dance music tchaikovsky

Discover What Makes Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ Sound Like Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Upcoming Holiday Programming

See all holiday programming

Festive Playlists

8 Great Christmas Recordings for 2018

Playlist: 2021’s Top 9 Classical Christmas Albums

bean chicago christmas music

Playlist: Christmas Classics Performed by Chicago Artists

Holiday Videos

Video: Hear the Carols That Characters in A Christmas Carol Would’ve Actually Heard

Holiday Music: Pianist Inga Kashakashvili Shares a Wistful, Lesser-Known Piano Waltz

Video: Music of the Baroque Brass Ensemble Performs 17th Century Dances by Praetorius

Seasonal Stories

fireworks illuminate the night sky over the Acropolis in Athens, Greece

New Year’s Songs Around the World

Now Adored, It Took 200 Years for Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos to Hit Their Stride. Here’s Why.

A sunglasses-wearing Santa ponders his list

Quiz: Should These Opera Characters Be on the Naughty or Nice List?

Jazzy ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ swings on after 57 years

The Vienna Philharmonic performing its customary New Year's Day Concert in a dazzlingly adorned concert hall

Waltzes in a Pandemic: How Vienna Phil Will Continue Its New Year’s Tradition

KAIA String Quartet Wishes You a Happy Holiday

star in the east shape note2

What Are Shape Notes? Jeannette Sorrell of Apollo’s Fire Explains

2020’s 8 Best Classical Christmas Albums

How a Modern Orchestra Plays a Period-Perfect ‘Messiah’

Quiz: What Movement of ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ Are You?

Discover Christmas Trees and Christmas Traditions From Around the World

This Video of the Von Trapps Singing ‘Edelweiss’ Will Be One of Your Favorite Things This Holiday Season

These Vintage Holiday Ads Are Sure to Make Your Spirits Bright

A Sneak Peek of Joffrey’s New Nutcracker Set During Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893

How Handel’s Messiah Got a Gospel Makeover