As the year draws to a close, WHRO-FM sets aside its regular Wednesday edition of “A Local Touch” to make room for a special New Year’s Eve celebration, curated and hosted by Raymond Jones. This Wednesday at 9 p.m., listeners are invited to ring in the New Year with one of the great musical traditions of the season: Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus.”
This gala performance features the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Chorus, conducted by the incomparable Herbert von Karajan, in a sparkling account of Strauss’s beloved operetta.
The cast brings together an extraordinary lineup of voices, including Waldemar Kmentt, Hilde Güden, Erika Köth, Walter Berry, Eberhard Wächter, Giuseppe Zampieri, Regina Resnik, and Peter Klein. The celebration continues with a star-studded gala sequence showcasing legendary singers such as Renata Tebaldi, Birgit Nilsson, Mario del Monaco, Teresa Berganza, Joan Sutherland, Jussi Björling, Leontyne Price, Giulietta Simionato, Ettore Bastianini, Fernando Corena, and Ljuba Welitsch, an operatic roll call worthy of a New Year’s toast.
As midnight approaches, the festivities turn reflective and celebratory with Ernest Tomlinson’s “Fantasia on Auld Lang Syne”, and there may even be a surprise nod to Guy Lombardo as the clock strikes twelve.
The Viennese celebrations continue into the New Year. On Thursday, January 1, 2026, WHRO-FM will broadcast the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day Concert live from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., carrying on a tradition heard by millions around the world.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve this Wednesday at 9 p.m., on WHRO-FM 90.3, and online through the Media Player or your Smart Device, and enjoy a festive and elegant close to the year.
Ring in the New Year with WHRO-FM
