Recently, the 2026 Hangzhou International Electronic Music Festival was held at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center. As a major supporting event of the 5th Global Digital Trade Expo, this year's festival focused on the integration and innovation of electronic music and artificial intelligence, featuring a special concert, international master classes, emerging creators' workshops, and a composition competition. Faculty and students from the Composition Department of the School of Music and Recording Arts at Communication University of China (CUC), majoring in Composition and Theory of Musical Composition (Electronic Music), were invited to present the new-media electronic music concert Sound & Shadow, a special concert of the Digital Trade Expo. Several original works also won top prizes in the concurrent international electronic music composition competition.
At the Sound & Shadow concert, faculty and students from CUC's Composition and Theory of Musical Composition program (Electronic Music) presented eight works rooted in traditional culture and fully integrated with digital technology and multimedia artistic expression, showcasing the exploratory achievements of young creators in the field of electronic music.
Musicians from around the world, faculty and students from domestic institutions, and members of the public attended the concert. After the performance, the audience and CUC teachers and students exchanged ideas about the works; multiple performing arts organizations and industry experts expressed on site their interest in future performance collaborations.
From CUC: Letting “E-Sound” Be Heard by More People
All eight works in this showcase were selected from CUC's “E-Sound Night” multimedia original electronic music concert. Drawing on traditional cultural sources such as the Silk Road civilization, ancient science and technology, traditional Chinese music theory, architectural art, ethnic festivals, and ancient mythology, the works—through the fusion of melody, rhythm, timbre, and multimedia imagery—present young CUC creators' observation, understanding, and interpretation of fine traditional Chinese culture.
Founded in 2014, “E-Sound Night” is built on CUC's Composition and Theory of Musical Composition program (Electronic Music). Centered on original electronic music works and combining live performance, sound design, visual art, and multimedia technology, it fully presents CUC's teaching achievements in music composition, music technology, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. From classroom composition to the “E-Sound Night” stage and on to the Hangzhou International Electronic Music Festival, the works have made the transition from teaching outcomes to public performance, fully demonstrating the university's approach to integrating professional teaching, artistic practice, and scientific and technological innovation to nurture talent.
Outstanding Competition Results: CUC Students Achieve New Successes
Faculty and students from CUC also excelled in the composition competitions across the various categories held concurrently with the showcase. This year's competition received more than 600 entries from countries including China, the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. Professor Wang Xuan, Chair of the Composition Department at CUC's School of Music and Recording Arts, was invited to serve as Jury Chair for the Applied Electronic Music track and as a juror for the AI Songwriting track.
The competition featured categories including multimedia electronic music, applied electronic music, and AI songwriting. Category E (AI Songwriting) specifically assessed entrants' understanding of AI music creation methods and their application boundaries. In the final round, before presenting their works, contestants had to explain—through a presentation and defense—the specific stages and ways in which AI was involved in creation, further demonstrating their thinking on AI music creation workflows and artistic expression.
At this year's competition, 17 works from CUC reached the finals, winning multiple top prizes including first place in both the Applied Electronic Music category and the AI Songwriting category. CUC works took 5 of the top 8 spots in the Applied Electronic Music category, and 9 of the 20 finalist works in the AI Songwriting category. The results fully demonstrate the university's talent cultivation in electronic music composition, digital art practice, and the integration of AI with music.
This article was translated with AI assistance.
Editor:Li Jalu
