I'm partial to our local classical station, which can be streamed online:

https://wsmr.org/

And there used to be some wonderful radio programs in the past that covered learning about classical music. Once I recall the names, I'll share them.

There are now literally hundreds of free podcasts about everything under the sun. You friend might want to do some browsing on their own at Apple podcasts, PRX, PRI, NPR, etc.

Carol, I know what you mean about the radio program, for the life of me I am coming up blank. Thank you for the link to your station.

He might start with Classical Classroom

https://www.npr.org/podcasts/495471150/classical-classroom

And Sticky Notes gets pretty high ratings

https://stickynotespodcast.libsyn.com/

Not a radio station…but what about buying tickets to a enjoy a Symphony Orchestra.

Gargamel (love your name!) This boy does not live near us, or I would gladly include him when we go to the opera or symphony. He is friends with my son and I think that two tickets to his local symphony might be a bit OTT for their level of frienship, IYKWIM.

Bbstx, Loving the podcast. Thank you.

This is fun. Got it for my husband after our granddaughter was born. She's almost at the age to begin appreciating it.

The Leonard Bernstein version where he explains how the instruments work in the piece is fabulous. Generations of fond memories there. My first time out to Lincoln Center. A favorite of all children.

I have never heard the David Bowie version. Looking forward to listening. Hey, Siri ...

The Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals is great too. My target audience is 23 and an engineering grad student.

As a lover of baroque music, I recommend Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Their structure and form might appeal to an engineer.

Bookwoman, Yes, love baroque music as well. Perfect.

Please don't judge me, but I remember watching this as a child.

Just watched the first bit of that, and no judgment at all - just mourning for the kind of thing that used to be on TV. IIRC, Buckley himself played the harpsichord.

He gave concerts and all that jazz. Pretty accomplished. I miss Michael Kinsley too.

Baroque music is my love. If your DS is local there's KDFC-FM. KDFC also has a mobile app. I love how they post their playlists so when you hear something you love and miss what it is, you can look it up.

I've always loved classical music. It's evidence of the divine.

Bunny, I absolutely agree with you. We all, including my son all listen to KDFC. I will add that resource for my son's friend.

One of my pet peeves with classical stations is the talk about how relaxing classical music is. I do not listen to Wagner or Beethoven to be sedated.

Sunday Baroque playlists: https://sundaybaroque.org/most-recent-playlist/

That's a great idea, Annie. Thank you.

And not forgetting Mozart, maybe the Jupiter Symphony?

I have no knowledge of classical music, but do appreciate it, so don’t cringe, but has he watched Amadeus?

Oh Beethoven is one of my top fave composers!

And the movie 'Immortal Beloved' with Gary Oldman as Beethoven is wonderful.

I'm still trying to recall the name of the man who had a syndicated radio program for many years. I believe his first name was Carl or Karl, but I cannot think of his last name

Karl Haas?

As an orchestra student in middle school, my daughter would get tickets to Live at the Met--a live broadcast of a Metropolitan Opera matinee shown in movie theaters. Tickets cost more than a movie ticket but way less than seeing the opera live. The broadcasts include some behind the scenes discussion and interviews.

https://www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/

Sorry, I can't resist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFHdRkeEnpM

One place where I was exposed to a lot of classical music was in the old bugs bunny cartoons.... https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66672/15-pieces-classical-music-showed-looney-tunes

HA! Annie, I read your comment and immediately in my head I heard ”Kill da wabbit, kill da rabbit…” 😂

OMyGooodness - I was just watching 'The Rabbit Of Seville' the other day with some of our playcamp kids. It's one of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons😃

And yes! Karl Haas it is! I used to listen to his show while commuting home from late night college classes in the 80s. I had a feeling someone here would know. Thanks, Bookwoman 😊

His show was called 'Adventures in Good Music'.

Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, hard to beat. Handel is my boyfriend.

I don't listen to Pandora anymore, but I use to have a Baroque channel that played some pretty good stuff...until it got very repetitious.

Renaissance music is beautiful, e.g., Palestrina, Tallis, Byrd.

I cobble some of this stuff together in Amazon Prime Music.

I'm a huge choral music fan. Tallis' Spem in alium and Bach's B minor Mass are my idea of heaven.

I second Mozart. He's my fave. I love Chopin's piano music too.

In no particular order:

Beethoven's 9th: Ode to Joy

Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major

Debussy's Claire de Lune

Rossini's William Tell Overture

Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition

Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desire

Pachabel's Canon in D

Handel's Hallelujah Chorus

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 2

Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture

Copland's Appalachian Spring

Bizet's Habanera from Carmen

Puccini's Nessun Dorma from Turandot

Desprez's Ave Maria

Ravel's Bolero

Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu

Any Gregorian Chant...maybe Deum Verum

Caccini's Ave Maria

Bach Invention 4 in D Minor

Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee

Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice

John Williams' Schindler's List....or this wonderful youtube of his tribute to movie scores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EC2fi3SGYI

I'm sure there are more, but this would be a good start to get exposure to a wide variety of classical music...

I should've added a string quartet...maybe something like this which gives a little history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eIePlhGB8U

Annie, Thank you a million times for the playlist and all the resources. I am touched by how much effort you put into all that.

Bookwoman & Bunny, thank you for the choral pieces.

Carol, Karl Haas, yes! I remember him.

Cawaps, the Met broadcasts are fabulous. They were a life saver as the pandemic started.

I will compile the list for my son's friend and forward it to him crediting my GW friends.

As always you are the best.

A Night at the Opera by Sir Denis Forman, very witty, doesnt assume any prior knowledge, irreverent guide to libretto and composers. Available on Amazon. Forman was a major figure in British tv programming, and was the chair of the Booker prize committee in 1990. Erudite but very practical in his approach to the arts.

My daughter suggested getting programs from symphony concerts and then listening on your platform of choice.

More from my daughter:

Gustav Holst--the Planets

Saint-Saens--Danse Macabre

Edvard Grieg--Peer Gynt Suite

Anything by Soon Hee Newbold

Carl Orff--Carmina Burana

And from me:

Faure--Requiem

Literally my pleasure Zalco as it allowed me to scroll through youtube and my mind for some of my favorite pieces that I haven't heard in a long time.

I was thinking too of some ballets where the melodies are familiar and the dancing is incredible...came across a thing on Barishnikov who was an absolute phenomenon.

I’m not sure if it will help, but Allan Sherman had a delightful album in 1964, Peter and the Commissar. He performs with the Boston Pops, and besides the title track, has ”Variations on How Dry I Am”, and ”The End of a Symphony”. Those two use classical pieces to embellish classic popular little ditties. ”End of a Symphony” tacks various codas on to ”Shave and a Haircut”. I don’t know about you, but listening to takeoffs on things gives me a new perspective when I listen to the real thing.

Here you go. https://www.google.com/search?q=classical+music+on+youtube&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALiCzsYQQMexPOwk3ETKLgkTtXIF1EmPVA%3A1656690425664&source=hp&ei=-Ra_YvyGJLClptQPlbmEiAE&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYr8lCWvtEPd8eKIwPbMYJ67aXTFVhmzR&oq=classical+music&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIECCMQJzIICAAQgAQQsQMyCAguEIAEENQCMgUIABCABDIFCC4QgAQyCwgAEIAEELEDEIMBMgoIABCxAxCDARBDMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyCAguEIAEELEDOgQILhAnOgQIABBDOgQILhBDOgcILhDUAhBDOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToNCAAQgAQQhwIQsQMQFDoHCAAQsQMQQzoNCC4QgAQQhwIQ1AIQFFAAWNg2YLWDAWgAcAB4AIAB_AGIAbIMkgEGMTAuNC4xmAEAoAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

I don’t know about you, but listening to takeoffs on things gives me a new perspective when I listen to the real thing.

My favorite example of this is Peter Schickele doing P.D.Q. Bach.

I love Prof Shickele. Fun fact, my aunt went to high school with him and played in the music ensembles with him. Unfortunately, to move into the higher groups she needed lessons, and she couldn’t afford it. Too bad, because she’s pretty talented.