Out of curiousity, I was wondering:
Other than movie scores by guys like John Williams or Hans Zimmer, do they make new orchestral music? Or do modern symphonies just play old Beethoven and Mozart and the score to Bravehart?
What do you think contemporary composers are producing?
A quick flick through the program for the SSO in 2007 shows that they’ll be performing works by Barry Conyngham, Peter Sculthorpe, Matthew Hindson, Brett Dean, Richard Meale…all contemporary Australian composers.
A similar browse of the BBC Symphony’s season: new pieces commissioned from Simon Bainbridge and Johnathon Dove, a Steve Reich concert next month, a whole weekend devoted to Gubaidulina (that one’s going in my diary 
)…
Yes, there’s plenty of Beethoven and Mozart being played, too. No Braveheart.
I’d also point out that, contrary to all this, many modern composers tend to mainly write for smaller ensembles, sometimes for stylistic and idiomatic reasons, and often for the pragmatism that an orchestral piece is less likely to be performed, and far less likely to recieve repeat performances. Also, ensembles exist specialising in performing new music, making a competent and enthusiastic approach to the music more likely than with a full symphony orchestra, where there’s likely to be at least a few players who’d rather be doing anything else.
Absolutely
Well obviously I thought they just produced very moving soundtracks to James Cameron movies. Truthfully I have no idea.