Concert Hall Classics
Concert Hall Classics, hosted by Curt Timmons, offers three hours of stunning music, presenting extended selections from the KUCO library and his personal collection. The program allows KUCO listeners to indulge in their favorite masterworks as well as discover more unusual offerings.
A Preview of Upcoming Programs on CHC
Monday, December 22, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Organist Jean Guillou improvising on favorite Christmas hymns and carols, Baroque Christmas Music of Telemann, Purcell, Torelli and others; Selection of Italian Concerti and a solo cantata associated with Christmas
Part 1: Concert of improvised Christmas hymns and carols
Jean Guillou playing the great Kleuker-Steinmeyer organ of the Tonhalle Zurich
Part 2: Georg Philipp Telemann’s Festive Suite in A; Henry Purcell: Two Christmas Interludes; Guiseppe Valentini: Sinfonia Per Il Santissimo Natale; Giuseppe Torelli: Concerto a Quatro In Forma Di Pastorale Per Il Santo Natale in g minor; Gaetano Maria Schiassi: Christmas Symphony in D
The Northwest Chamber Orchestra of Seattle is conducted by Alun Francis
Part 3: Alessandro Marcello: Concerto in d minor for oboe, strings and continuo; Alessandro Scarlatti: Cantata pastorale for soprano, string and continuo; Tomaso Albinoni: Concerto in d minor for oboe, strings and continuo, Op. 9 No. 2; Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in g minor, Op. 6, No. 8, known as the “Christmas Concerto”
Maya Boog, soprano soloist; Stefan Schill, oboist; Cologne Chamber Orchestra conducted by Helmut Müller-Brühl
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Rare choral music of Dutch Renaissance composer Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck; Christmas Mass as it would have been celebrated in the early 17th century: Short works of Heinrich Schütz and Francesco Usper
Part 1: Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck: 21 motets from Cantiones Sacre (1619)
Trinity College Chapel Choir conducted by Richard Marlow
Part 2: Christmas Mass as it would have been celebrated in the early 17th century: Josquin Desprez: Praeter rerum seriem; Giovanni Perluigi Palestrina: Hodie Christus natus est; the Spaniard Tomas Luis de Victoria’s two motets O magnum mysterium and Quem vidistis, pastores; Girolamo Frescobaldi and Ercole Pasquini are represented by keyboard work interspersed between choral settings; Giovanni Francesco Anerio; Hodie Christus natus est; Domenico Mazzochi: Alme puere; Carrissimi: Exulte, gaude
The Gabieli Consort and Players on authentic instruments are conducted by Paul McCreesh
Part 3: Heinrich Schütz: Das Wort ward Fleisch; Francesco Usper: Sonata à 8 (from Compositioni armonische, 1619); Heinrich Schütz: Alleluja, lobet den Herren
The Choir and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music is conducted by Paul Goodwin
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Rare choral and orchestral music of Antonio Caldara: Three Christmas cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas cantata of Dutch composer Christian Friederich Ruppe: Historic recording of The Philadelphia Orchestra Brass playing carol arrangements
Part 1: Antonio Caldara: Christmas Cantata (1713)
Mary Enid Haines and Linda Dayiantis-Straub, sopranos; Jennifer Lane, mezzo-soprano; David Arnot, tenor; Aradia Baroque Ensemble directed by Kevin Mallon
Part 2: Antonio Caldara: Two sinfonias (actually the overtures to his oratorios San Pietro in Cesarea from 1743 and San’ Elena al Calvario from 1739)
The Aradia Baroque Ensemble conducted by Kevin Mallon
Part 3a: Johann Sebastian Bach: Four Advent cantatas: Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36; Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn, BWV 132; an instrumental suite Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland arranged by Kevin Mallon; cantata Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61
Soloists and the Aradia Baroque Ensemble are conducted by Kevin Mallon
Part 3b: Selection of carols arranged for brass ensemble
The Philadelphia Orchestra Brass Ensemble (1967 Columbia Masterworks analog)
Thursday, December 25, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Three-part concert of music celebrating the end of Advent and the beginning of Christmastide
Part 1: Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi: Selections from Il Primo Libro delle Canzoni (1628-1634)
Musica Fiata, Köln, directed by Roland Wilson
Part 2: Heinrich Schütz: Christmas Story (Weihnachtshistorie), SWV 435
Soloists, Concerto Vocale, period instrument ensemble led by René Jacobs
Part 3: Heinrich Schütz/Giovanni Gabrieli, Matthias Weckmann and Francesco Usper: choral motets dialogues, sonatas and canzonas
The Choir and Orchestra of The Academy of Ancient Music conducted by Paul Goodwin
Previous Programs on CHC
Monday, December 15, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Rarely heard oratorios and choral music of George Frederic Handel – Part 1
Dettingen Te Deum
Soloists, Alsfelder Vokalensemble, Concerto Polacco performing on period instruments conducted by Wolfgang Helbich
An Occasional Oratorio
Julia Doyle, soprano, Ben Johnson, tenor, Peter Harvey, baritone
The Bavarian Radio Choir; Akademie für Alte Musik performing on period instruments conducted by Howard Arman
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Rarely heard oratorios and choral music of George Frederic Handel – Part 2
Saul (Oratorio in 3 acts sung in English)
David Cordier as David; Knut Schock as Jonathan; Barbara Schlick as Michal; Claron McFadden as Merab, Witch of Endor; Marcel Beckman as Abner; Gotthold Schwarz as the Apparition of Samuel; Junge Kantorei; Barockorchester Frankfurt performing on period instruments conducted by Joachm Carlos Martini
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Rarely heard oratorios and choral music of George Frederic Handel – Part 3
Il trionfo del Tempo e della Verità (The Triumph of Time and Truth, second version of 1737)
Claron McFadden as La Bellezza (beauty), Elisabeth Scholl as Il Piacere (Pleasure), Nicholas Hariades as Il Tempo (time), Peer Abilgaard as Il Disinganno (Disillusion), Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Frankfurt performing on period instruments conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini
Thursday, December 18, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Music of George Frederic Handel – Part 4
Concerto a due cori in F No. 2 for 2 wind ensembles and strings (as would have been heard during a performance of Messiah)
The English Consort led by Trevor Pinnock from the harpsichord (1984 Archiv digital)
Messiah (Performance in a compilation of versions as would have been heard in 1750s London)
Margaret Marshall, soprano; Catherine Robbin, mezzo-soprano; Charles Brett, countertenor; Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, tenor; Robert Hale, bass; Saul Quirke, boy soprano – Monteverdi Choir – English Baroque Soloists conducted by John Elliot Gardiner (1981 Philips digital)
Previous Programs on CHC
Monday, December 8, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
Violin and Keyboard concerti of Johann Sebastian Bach; Three Horn Concerti of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Part 1: Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto in d minor for two violins, BWV 1043; Concerto in a minor for violin, BWV 1041; Concerto in E for violin, BWV 1042; and Concerto in d minor for two violins BWV 1060
Andrew Manze and Rachel Podger, violinists; The Academy of Ancient Music led by Andrew Manze
Part 2: Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto in d minor BWV 1052; the Concerto in E BWV 1053; and the Triple Concerto in a minor for flute, violin and harpsichord BWV 1044
Richard Egarr, harpsichordist; Pauline Nobles, solo violin; Rachel Brown, flute in the triple concerto; Andrew Manze directs The Academy of Ancient Music
Part 3: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 1 in D, K 412 (1791, unfinished); Horn Concerto No. 2 in E flat, K 417 (1783); Horn Concerto in E-flat, K 447 (1787)
Lowell Greer, natural horn; Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra directed by Nicholas McGegan
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
William Byrd: Mass for 4 voices; Missa Solemnis attributed to Joseph Haydn; Sacred works of Franz Schubert
Part 1: William Byrd: Mass for Four Voices (1592–1593)
The Sixteen conducted by Harry Christophers
Part 2: Joseph Haydn (attributed): Missa Solemnis
Judith Graf, soprano; Ingrid Alexandre, alto; Lukas Albrecht, tenor; Michael Haag, bass Collegium Cantorum St. Gallen; Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz conducted by Mario Schwarz
Part 3: Franz Schubert: Mass in B-flat D324; Salve Regina in F, D379; Stabat Mater in f minor, D383; Salve Regina in B-flat, D452
Lucia Popp and Helen Donath, sopranos; Brigette Fassbaender, mezzo-soprano; Adolf Dallpozza, tenor; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Chorus and Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
“Back To Basics”: Symphonies of Carl Maria van Weber, George Bizet, Franz Schubert, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Sergei Prokofiev
Part 1a: Carl Maria van Weber: Symphony No. 1 in C
Part 1b: George Bizet: Symphony in C
Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Otmar Suitner
Part 2a: Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat, D.485 (1816)
Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Herbert Blomstedt
Part 2b: Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor “Unfinished” D485
Part 3a: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 in c minor, Op. 17 “Little Russian”
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur
Part 3b: Sergei Prokofiev: Classical Symphony in D, Op. 25
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Masur
Thursday, December 11, 2025
3-hour programs 11 am-2 PM & 9 PM-12 am Monday through Thursday
The United States Marine Band: Classic and modern transcriptions for wind ensemble
Part 1: Overtures, Vol. 1: Antonín Dvořák: Carnival Overture, Op. 92, transcription By Herbert L. Clarke; Richard Wagner: Overture To The Flying Dutchman, transcription By Mark Hindsley; Hector Berlioz Overture To Benvenuto Cellini, transcribed by F. Ligner; Giuseppe Verdi: Overture To Il Finto Stanislaw, transcription by Walter Kalischnig: Giuseppe Vedi: Overture To Giovanna D’Arco, transcription by John R. Bourgeois; Johann Strauss Jr.: Overture To The Gypsy Baron, transcription by John R. Bourgeois; Sir Arthur Sullivan: Overture di Ballo, transcription by John R. Bourgeois; and Édouard Lalo: Overture To Le Roi D’Ys, transcription by Lucien Cailliet
The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel John R. Bourgeois
Part 2: Overtures, Vo. 2: Franz von Suppé: “Light Cavalry” Overture transcribed by Charles Godfrey; Leonard Bernstein: Overture to “Candide” transcribed by Claire Grundman; Otto Nicolai: Merry Wives of Windsor transcribed by John Philip Sousa; Gaetano Donizetti: Overture to Don Pasquale transcribed by Pasquale Pulvirenti; Charles-Simon Catel: Overture in C Major transcribed by Richard Franko Goldman; Giuseppe Verdi: Overture to Louis Miller transcribed by William G. Pruyn; Ambroise Thomas: Overture to Raymond transcribed by VF Safranek; Daniel-François Auber: Fra Diavolo transcribed by LP Laurendeau; Antônio Carlos Gomes: Overture to Il Guarany
The United States Marie Band conducted by Colonel John R. Bourgeois
Part 3a: Sir Arthur Sullivan (arr. Sir Charles Mackerras): Suite from the Ballet “Pineapple Poll”
The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Michael J. Colburn
Part 3a: Maurice Ravel: La Valse (transcribed by Master Sergeant Donald Patterson)
The United States Marine Band conducted by Colonel Michael J. Colburn
