Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s to early 1990s, which includes modernist, postmodern, neoromantic, and pluralist music. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 musical forms.
Generally "contemporary classical music" includes modern forms of art music such as post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern,
including serial music, electroacoustic music, musique concrète, experimental music, atonal music, minimalist music, etc; and post-1975 music such as Spectral music, post-minimalism, sound art, etc.
Notable composers include Philip Glass, John Adams, Steve Reich, Thomas Adès, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Arvo Pärt, Terry Riley and Charles Ives.
Symphony No.3 Opus 36 (2)
Henryk Gorecki
(b.1933 : Poland)
Conductor: David Zinman
Ensemble: London Sinfonietta
Soloists: Dawn Upshaw
Record label: Elektra Nonesuch
Catalogue ID: 7559 792822
The Piano - The Heart Asks Pleasure First
Michael Nyman
Conductor: Paul Bateman
Ensemble: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Record label: Classic FM
Catalogue ID: CFMD 10
Violin Concerto (2).
Philip Glass
Conductor: Christoph von Dohnanyi
Ensemble: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloists: Gidon Kremer
Record label: Classic FM
Catalogue ID: CFMFW 056