The article explores problems facing contemporary composers in a post-Soviet Russian culture. It points at the new cultural priorities that have arisen as a result of expanding market relations and commercialization of art, as well as the growing role of mass media and show business diminishing the impact of classical music. The author concludes that there is a need to support talented phenomena within the new “serious” and its authors and to raise the status of high musical professionalism both in composition and performance arts-the arts that have a formative influence on culture and general artistic and musical tastes of contemporary listeners.