Who Gets to Write Symphonies After Beethoven?

By Ria Andriani

ABC Classic

Topic: Classical Music

Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 5:37 pm

Australia chose Beethoven's Ninth as the greatest symphony of all time in the ABC Classic 100.

Beethoven's Choral Symphony No. 9 in D minor is Australia's favorite piece of classical music.

Every year, ABC Classic asks listeners to choose their favorite works, then counts down the results.

In 2026, Beethoven's Ninth was voted number one for the fifth time.

It's easy to see why.

The symphony has a familiar tune and great interplay between instruments.

ABC Classic Music Class co-host Ed Le Brocq compares a symphony to a novel in music.

A composer has an idea, develops it, and then changes it, making the listener feel like they're on a journey.

Beethoven's Ninth inspired many composers to write symphonies with four movements for a large orchestra.

When it was written, the music was very different from what people were used to.

The ninth symphony is special.

Symphonies became popular in the 1800s when orchestras became a central part of public entertainment.

To understand how unique Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was, Ed Le Brocq gives a modern example.

At first, people thought Beethoven's idea was radical, but they accepted it over time.

Beethoven's Ninth is loved for its exciting Ode to Joy Finale.

Beethoven wrote the music when he was almost completely deaf, which adds to its legend.

When the symphony premiered in Vienna in 1824, Beethoven didn't know the audience was applauding until a soloist turned him around.

Since then, the symphony has become one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music.

Writing symphonies is very hard, and only a few composers have written more than nine.

There's a rumor in classical music that says a composer will die after writing their ninth symphony.

Some famous composers died while writing or after completing their ninth symphonies.

Gustav Mahler tried to avoid the superstition by calling his ninth symphony something else, but he still died before finishing his next one.

ABC Classic presenter Vanessa Hughes doesn't believe in the curse.

She says many great composers wrote more or fewer than nine symphonies, so the myth doesn't make sense.

Composing a symphony is like writing a huge, complex novel, Ed Le Brocq says.

Vanessa Hughes says the real issue is who gets to write symphonies in the first place.

Why there's no symphony No. 9 by a woman

Beethoven inspired many composers to follow in his footsteps.

But women composers had a harder time finding success in the symphonic world.

Many women composed large-scale symphonies, but most of their works have been lost to history.

People thought women wrote small, simple music, not large orchestral works.

Women faced many barriers to having their symphonies heard.

Historically, women weren't welcome to compose symphonies, and orchestras wouldn't play their music.

Few composers have written more than nine symphonies, and women are still trying to reach that milestone.

Despite the obstacles, many women persisted and drew inspiration from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Some women composers, like Emilie Mayer, Louise Farrenc, and Alice Mary Smith, wrote symphonies that drew on Beethoven's music.

Emilie Mayer came close to matching Beethoven's output, completing eight symphonies.

Vanessa Hughes singles out Mayer as an example of someone who defied the odds.

Mayer had a supportive family and the means to keep composing.

With her brother's support, Mayer was able to continue writing music.

In the orchestral world, women like Florence Price faced additional barriers to get their symphonies accepted and performed.

Women continued to push through the musical boundaries in the 20th century.

Florence Price saw her First Symphony premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933.

In Soviet Russia, Galina Ustvolskaya wrote symphonies in secret, defying the state's musical standards.

More recently, British composer Minna Keal wrote her first symphony in her seventies after a long hiatus.

Keal's Symphony No. 1 was broadcast by the BBC and performed at the Proms.

The case for symphonies beyond Beethoven

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is a clear audience favorite, appearing regularly in past ABC Classic 100 countdowns.

It topped the list in 2024, 2020, 2016, and 2010, and came second in 2021 and 2009.

Of the eight symphonies mentioned, four are by Beethoven, and the rest are by Mahler and Camille Saint-Saëns.

We should support composers to write new symphonies, Ed Le Brocq and Vanessa Hughes say.

Despite the popularity of past symphonies, Hughes and Le Brocq argue that we should support today's composers.

Le Brocq says writing a symphony is like writing a huge, complex novel, requiring time, investment, and orchestral support.

Hughes adds that orchestras should be bolder in programming music by living composers and commissioning new works.

Don't underestimate audiences' expectations and adventurousness, Hughes says.

To explore symphonic music beyond Beethoven, Hughes suggests tuning in to ABC Classic.

Hughes learned about many pieces of music and their composers by playing them on ABC Classic.

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