French musicians demand clarity on 'contemporary music' terminology

On October 8, 1998, the collective Musique and the Syndicat national des auteurs et des compositeurs sent a letter to the French Minister of Culture demanding a terminological clarification regarding the various labels used for so-called 'learned' music. The terms 'new' and 'contemporary' are seen as prejudicial to composers. The letter highlights the confusion and potential harm caused by inconsistent naming conventions in the field of contemporary classical music.