Classical music newbie needs your suggestions

I also would suggest going to a used record store or craigslist and buying a bunch (2 or 3 movie theater movies worth... or a week of Starbucks worth) of used classical vinyl or CDs ... and explore.   IMHO it is a fun (and relatively inexpensive way) to discover new music.

So there.

Some great suggestions, but I'm not going to add any more as they've already bust your budget two times.

@drawding   I bought up all the used golden period classical vinyl in the late 80s for £1 a disc or less.

It's all being sold at collectible money now as many have come to realise a lot of digital recordings suck and are going back to vinyl.  The market is streaming vs. vinyl now.  But most current vinyl has nothing on the Deccas etc of the late 50s and 60s.

@clearthinker  ... £1  Maybe you got them all in the UK?  : )  Apologies if your comment was sarcastic this comment is based upon taking your statement literally.

I am near a US West Coast major metropolitan area.  I find great classical vinyl all the time (maybe not near mint with a perfect sleeve ... but after a good clean, very nice with some gems along the way ... plenty of London blue backs).  I pay way less that £1 per disc.  More like a £1 ($2) for 10 albums.  Sometimes I get 100s for just the price of loading them up and taking them away.  You just have to keep your eyes out and explore methods other than Discogs or eBay.  In my case it helps to be within a hours drive of ~ 8.5 million potential sellers.  In America at least, there is a YouTube vinyl collector with a  store front (Noble Records) that refuses (based upon his comments on past Youtube videos)  to even take in classical records at any price.  So yes, though if vinyl popularity keeps up, it will be tougher to find good deals, they are still out there.  Especially in America.

I had a college friend share his appreciation of classical music with me. Since it sounds you’re beyond that, I’d now say to find a copy of Ted Libby’s NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection. (Ignore the “CD” part of the title.) The greats are the greats, and Libby is informed as well as accessible. Opera, too. Just organize your collection in your favorite manner (I use composer’s birthdate, which gives you a visual timeline of eras) and read the liner notes and Libby’s commentary as you listen. 

I was a rock n' roll kid- Bob Seger and Uncle Ted Nugent. The first classical tune that caught my ear was Pachelbel's Cannon in D. I was 18 yrs. old then. Mozart came next and as a student of music (piano and trumpet) I began to slowly mature into more and more complex classical music. At 60 years old I find my greatest joy listening to the old masters- Handel, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I prefer the composers that tried to emulate God by composing purer, higher, nobler music.  I also like French vanilla ice cream and hate butter pecan so there's that.