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Station: chillwave

lindsey fucking stirling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGQLXRTl3Z0

edit: playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLnDMkTevTN5C30MfgL3v7Xznk7Rf98aZ

Claude Bolling - Sentimentale
Nujabes - Voice of Autumn
Nujabes - Waltz for Life

Edit: Honestly, just download his Discography. You'll be blown away. Even if you don't like hip hop, the instrumentals are really good. And someone mentioned Explosions in the Sky, so here's First Breath After Coma

You can't go wrong with composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Vivaldi. There are lots of classical playlists on spotify :)

Oh, man, here we go.
I'm going to start by naming a few generally good pieces, since these will be more of what you are looking for.
Some of my favorite classical pieces include:
"The Planets" by Gustav Holst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHVsszW7Nds

"Symphonic Metamorphosis" by Paul Hindemith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMp6Ovw--Pc

"Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRU1AJsXN1g

Hector Berlioz' "Damnation of Faust" Is incredible, especially the Hungarian March movement. Though it has lyrics, you may not get distracted if theyre in another language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg7mJcYnEQE

Can't go wrong with Gershwin's "An American in Paris"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ros66y1aZ-E

A piece that really doesnt get the respect it deserves is Michael Mogensen's "Aerial Fantasy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy7GOKoyV5U

Maybe a little piano. Samuel Barber's "Excursions"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J3g7y1DyOk

Marches!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD4R5x4DfBw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOCxegQupMU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTE8fJm5i9Y

Now that I've named some general pieces, I'm going to name some solo pieces. I studied tuba for 8 years, so I really developed a passion for this kind of music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTE8fJm5i9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byfwW3fLkr8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvmwhnMesMk
And finally, my favorite piece of music of all time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey6Z89tIiPw
This is such an incredible piece. If you can only listen to one piece on my list, let it be this one.
Overall, this may not have all been the kind of music you were looking for. It may not be old enough, or it may not be in ful orchestra, but I hope you give them a listen anyway.

EDIT: We have a problem, houston. removing embedded videos because they all ended up as the first link.

Try John Adams (not the president). He's a minimalist and 20th century composer. Particularly look for The Chairman Dances, Shaker Loops, and Harmonielehre.

Recently I've been listening to a group called The Penguin Cafe Orchestra. What I've heard of their music it seems to be happy and energetic. I find myself in a good mood after hearing them play. there is plenty of great instrumental jazz as well.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnbH00mu3VjwTYnGXMnS0vR2ZdQOPVyuh

This is my custom youtube music playlist. It's ~50% classical, but there's the occasional EDM song, hip hop, prog metal album, or folk music song in there. Mostly chill stuff though.

This!

A sample of some good instrumental acts in varied genres, just the first ones I could think of:
Jaga Jazzist, Snarky Puppy (their newest album is instrumental), Todd Terje, Pat Metheny Group, Bill Laurance, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Weather Report, Wintergatan, Röyksopp (their Senior album), Trentemøller, Floating Points, Bonobo. I'd also recommend most of the classical composers/works/pieces already mentioned, and add Steve Reich, Eric Satie and Debussy to that list as well.

a winged victory for the sullen
stars of the lid
musk ox

essential study music

+1 on musk ox, their new album is fucking amazing

if you're into neofolk stuff like that "whom the moon a nightsong sings" is a really good compilation album, but there might be a few songs with vocals

John Mackey
Aurora Awakes
Hymn to a Blue Hour
The Frozen Cathedral

Yea basically any Nujabes is pretty incredible, some of it has rap but you can learn to just ignore the words and listen to the drum and melody. My personal favorite album is spiritual state, partly because of the saxophone solos.

Nils Frahm!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLNeZogTsK8

Nothing classical here, but instrumental nonetheless.

Porn Sword Tobacco
Gift Wrap Yourself Slowly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCryKmPoI24
I Love Riding My Bicycle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l77YodPwaUQ
Always - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l78Ez0Zag

Clams Casino*
I'm God - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJJ8hWDXWGs
I'm the Devil - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZZF4pU3shc
Illest Alive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjv0HBWydJc

* - I'm not sure if Clams Casino will count as these songs have a small amount of vocals, though they aren't focused on the vocals much.

The American Dollar
Anything You Synthesize - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU49AFzgtw
Tonight, Let's All Make Love in London - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg8PitMpVNc

Motionless
She Got Lost in the Observatory - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyjloDpb1gs
United States of Amnesia - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofZok4B1L4
Nature Unveiling Herself to Science - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXb5XTAGDt8
The Windmill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnSCYJ_ZCyw

more good nils frahm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aln6DztAsMQ#t=150
@2:30

I recommend Do Make Say Think and Explosions in the Sky. They got me through my 4 years of undergrad.

Explosions in the Sky ...great studying music.

Ambrosia Caprice is great too

Rhian Sheehan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35knS2wT3BU
Lights & Motion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iknhUtKadGA
Sigur Rós https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnAwPeqrdAk
Boards of Canada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAkgUeJDgQ8

as mentioned: Nujabes! great artist.

i'll add some examples of tracks from a bunch of other artists.
i'm sorry if this is not the kind of stuff you were looking for, but stuff like this has always worked great for me when studying or just reading, drawing, etc.

Floex - Veronika's Dream
Floex - Forget-Me-Not
Floex - Phi Log

Four Tet - Unspoken
Four Tet - You Could Ruin My Day
Four Tet - Hands
Four Tet - Calamine

Koan - When The Silence Is Speaking (Blue Mix)
Koan - Back To The Silent Lagoon (Blue Mix)
Koan - Selena's Song (Blue Mix)
Koan - Underwater Moonlight (Blue Mix)

Tycho - From Home
Tycho - Dictaphone's Lament

Mr. Blue - Sacramento
Bonobo - Recurring
Bonobo - Sleepy Seven
Bonobo - Silver

Emancipator - Nevergreen
Emancipator - Lionheart
Emancipator - First Snow

Xerxes - Angelina
Xerxes - Cell Progression

Boards of Canada - Spectrum
Boards of Canada - Music is Math

Vangarde - Find the Best in Time (couldn't find it on youtube)

(semi-)classical pieces from movies:
In the Mood for Love - Yumeji's Theme
Old Boy - The Last Waltz

i'll just leave it at this in case you think it's all shite

edit: didn't see that Cloudmaker had already mentioned Boards of Canada. oh well.. +1 :)

http://grooveshark.com/#!/classicalclassics/broadcast
http://grooveshark.com/#!/masterofbaroque/broadcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQevo7M4gm8 Saint Paul's suite G. Holst 4th Movement
and basically everything baroque (Bach, Vivaldi, etc)

Debussy - Best of
Arvo Part
Chopin - Nocturnes
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
Tim Hecker - Virgins

Just a hand full of my favorite classical and ambient composers.

A lot of Mingus's compositions were very European sounding. I'd recommend "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" and "Let My Children Hear Music". Both are incredible albums.

I happen to have a Google doc with my favorites!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M4XvzLxbQshOFptofPdPRvO-vPS6wtEEbMNn3Drj5ts/edit?usp=sharing

Additionally, any of the Mahler symphonies are great.

a good modern classical artist is Nils Frahm, he has very soothing music imo that i study to a lot of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7V-DygG_vE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIwwjy4slI8