Some of my friends get downright hostile when they hear that music. Today, a lot of composers who were influenced by jazz, rock and world music are using tonal based systems and writing music that is much more accessible to contemporary audiences. Their music is more in tune with what lovers of classical music are comfortable with and like. All had put out records on smaller labels before being signed. I'm beginning to think that contemporary classical is a catch-all phrase that encompasses a lot of interesting styles.
Some people are hard to categorize.
Frank Zappa is a good example. The vast majority of his pop fans have no idea that he was also a very serious composer who wrote chamber music and orchestral works. He was a great admirer of Edgard Varese, a major composer of the mid-century and a pioneer in electronic music, and those influences made him one of the most creative and interesting pop AND classical composers. It is hard to draw the distinctions because so many contemporary classical composers are interested in a broad range of creativity and have a whole new set of electronic and multi-media tools at their disposal. It is a very exciting time for new composers in all genres.