Christmas Highlights

Round at Katherine's: Sunday 16th December, 12pm

Mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins makes her radio presenting debut, spending three hours playing a selection of her favourite festive music, as well as tracks from her new album of Christmas carols. 

An Evening at Downton Abbey: Friday 21st December, 8pm

Join Margherita Taylor for this Christmas special. There'll be plenty of music from the TV series, as well as famous classical pieces composed in the era in which Downton is set.  Plus, Margherita will be joined by Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham), Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith) and Penelope Wilton (Mrs Crawley), as well as the show's creator Julian Fellowes and its composer John Lunn, as we go behind the scenes at Downton Abbey. 

The Classic FM Christmas Appeal: 17th December

Across the course of the week, we'll be auctioning off some fantastic prizes – everything from overseas holidays to concert tickets to Andre Rieu with all of the money raised going to support the work of the Classic FM Foundation. 

24 December 

Christmas Eve Requests Show, 1pm
Anne-Marie Minhall and Jamie Crick present a special Christmas Eve Requests show special, so why not get in touch and you could have your favourite piece of classical music featured on Classic FM.

Christmas Carol Concert, 8pm
Join Jane Jones as she broadcasts a specially-recorded Parliament Choir Christmas carol concert.

25 December

Christmas Day Requests Show, 10am
Jamie Crick hosts a special Christmas day requests show, so why not get in touch and you could have your favourite piece of classical music featured on Classic FM on Christmas day!

The Nations Favourite Christmas Carols, 1pm
John Brunning presents The Nations Favourite Christmas Carols and counts down the top 30 Carols as voted for by you!

Exclusive broadcast of The Carol Concert for the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, 3pm
Hosted by Nicholas Owen, a man who's no stranger to events of this nature having previously been ITN's Royal Correspondent. The concert will be broadcast after the Queen's Speech at 3pm.

The Story of Carols, 6pm
Join Anne-Marie Minhall as she presents the Story of Carols.

Christmas Carol Concert, 8pm
Jane Jones will broadcast a specially-recorded Nordoff Robbins Christmas carol concert

27 December

John Williams at 80: A Classic FM Interview Special, 7pm
In August this year Classic FM broadcast a very special, exclusive interview with John Williams. During the course of the interview, Williams talked about what it was like to compose the scores for Jurassic Park and Schindler's List at the same time, and how he ended up working with great Hollywood composers like Elmer Bernstein and Franz Waxman. Alongside this fascinating interview, the show will feature some of his biggest hits from Star Wars to Harry Potter and E.T.

Professor Lord Robert Winston, 9pm
Robert Winston presents the first of four programmes focusing on everything from drinking songs to pastoral music.

28 December

David Mellor's Best Albums of 2012, 7pm
The first of two shows where David picks a selection of his favourite releases and re-releases of 2012.

Professor Lord Robert Winston, 9pm
Robert Winston presents a second show focusing on everything from drinking songs to pastoral music. 

29 December 

Wynne Evans guide to Opera, 3pm
Tenor Wynne Evans presents the first of two shows guiding you through the world of opera.

Professor Lord Robert Winston, 9pm
Robert Winston presents his penultimate show focusing on everything from drinking songs to pastoral music. 

30 December

The Best of The Classic FM Interview, 12pm
Nick Ferrari presents The Best of The Classic FM Interview.  Over the course of three hours, we'll be hearing from the likes of Dustin Hoffmann, Miranda Hart, Sebastian Coe and Darcey Bussell, as they chat to Nick and choose the classical music they love.

Wynne Evans guide to Opera, 3pm
We broadcast the second of two shows from tenor Wynne Evans as he guides you through the world of opera.

David Mellor's Best Albums of 2012, 7pm
David spends two hours selecting his best albums of the year.

Professor Lord Robert Winston, 9pm
Robert Winston's final show in this four part series concludes tonight. 

31 December

The Magic of Andre Rieu, 8pm
John Suchet celebrates the musical phenomenon of Andre Rieu with a special programme featuring two hours of music from Rieu's chart-topping recordings – and he'll also be interviewing the man himself about his astonishingly successful career to date.

Classic FM's New Year Party, 10pm
See in 2013 in style with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Laurence promises 3 hours of the best classical music providing the perfect soundtrack to your New Year's eve.