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My musical taste has developed over the years. When I started playing the piano I was still very interested in the pop-music from the sixties in addition to some of the great American musicals from that time as well as more local music like Nordic folk songs and popular melodies from that time. After some time with the piano I developed into a die-hard player of classical music. Favorite composers were Chopin, Beethoven, Grieg, Bach and Mozart and Schubert (just to mention a few). I also remembered when a teacher at high school introduced me to Debussy. I found this music a bit weird to begin with, but gradually I became more and more fond of the impressionists. I had some periods in my life when I was more or less obsessed with special composers. For instance I had a "Faure period" the last few years.
Some time ago someone arranged a Spanish - Latin American themed recital here. To begin with I didn't think that I would participate, because I had no clue about that kind of music, but finally I picked two Albeniz pieces. This turned out to be just the beginning of a new journey into Spanish music. When listening to the recital I got acquainted with other composers like Granados, de Falla and Turina and still I discover new gems written by these composers. And best of all - some of their pieces are actually playable for an amateur. I'm really grateful to those who somehow "forced" me into this universe of music.

This doesn't mean that I'm finished with Chopin, Bach and Faure. For me it is meaningless to compare or rank composers. But it is always nice to make new discoveries. I'm always open to any suggestion.

If you had told me one year ago that I would be streaming Bach, Mozart, etc. on my iphone instead of Green Day I would laughed. I think there is a lot of truth to the premise that your appeciation for music can change as a result of learning - or in my case attempting to learn - an instrument.

I feel you! My evolution of music was rather weird as well... I've always liked soundtracks, though I also listened heavy metal. Later I started listening to hip hop, even gangster rap. But I think what most added to classical was listening to soundtracks. Soon enough soundtracks turned into 'light' classical works, such as Thcaikovsky, some Debussy. Now my two favorite composers are Bach & Mozart. I wouldn't have thought that as well.

But finding peers with the same musical taste is difficult! Some who can appreciate light classical works and soundtracks are rare, but I do sometimes see them. I never meet anyone who likes Bach though...

I like Bach. Even more with the years. Being a tenor singer in a choir I had the opportunity to participate in performances of many of Bach's greatest choral works. And I have played lots of inventions sinfonias, suites and other piano works, and I always find something new.

When comes to "lighter" classics I can enjoy that music as well. When selecting music for a live audience I always try to choose music that isn't to hard to dive into, and preferably something that people have heard before. Actually I feel very lucky because I can appreciate and enjoy a wide variety of music. I even can understand that my musical taste is different form other people's preferences. And as I mentioned in the original post, it can prove very fruitful to be open for other people's opinion.

I am also a fan mostly of alt rock but also classic riock who never knew the difference btw Bach and Ravel until a year or two ago but have been learning a tremendous amount during this journey. It turns out classical music is more interesting to play and I believe it is advancing my abilities better than rock. I actually find myself playing it on YouTube and Apple Music as well.

I know nobody personally who knows anything about classical music.

I’ve always been a classical music fan, as well as jazz, blues. In my younger days, also pop and rock. But in the last few years, I have been exposed to a lot of new classical music which I really like, and my YouTube likes have grown to 300 ‘ahs’. New to me composers/works from Latin America, Mel Bonis, Charles Grieffes, Antonio Fragoso, Barinvsky, to name a few.

So much music, so little time

And by the way, I really have no friends that love music . I asked several highly educated people I know “do you know who Horowitz is?’ Only one knew

I have not yet played any Spanish composers, but I listen to music by them quite often and very much enjoy it. The closest I've come is something I'm working on now, Solace: A Mexican Serenade by Joplin, which is in habanera style.

I listened to pop music in my youth, then alternative, then bluegrass for many years. Only very occasionally would I listen to classical music. The only person I know who knows anything about classical music and piano is my spouse. It's quite handy to have someone close by who "gets it."

Easily one of Joplin's finest compositions.