As China’s national digitalization strategy gains momentum, the digital cultural and creative industries are experiencing unprecedented growth. In response, USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry (ICCI) is actively exploring innovative education practices that integrate digital and intelligent technologies. One such initiative is the International Digital Music Innovation Competition (IDMIC), launched in 2025 by ICCI in collaboration with a host of global partners, including Belgium’s SORODHA Art Association and Institute for Electronic Music, Korea’s Electronic Music Association, and Soundpress Entertainment.
This year’s IDMIC, themed Echoes of Dunhuang, invited submissions from around the world that merge cultural richness, artistic expression, and technological sophistication. More than a competition, IDMIC aims to foster a globally connected, collaborative ecosystem for digital music innovation while advancing new approaches to interdisciplinary talent development—an ambition that has resonated widely across academic and industry circles.
The award ceremony unfolded in the ICCI’s contemporary, gallery-like atrium, bringing together judges, artists, and digital music enthusiasts from the Netherlands, Belgium, Korea, and beyond. The event offered a curated journey through ICCI’s most innovative spaces, including demonstrations in the Smart Music and Audio Labs and immersive installations inspired by the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and traditional zaojing motifs.
These showcases gave guests a close-up look at how emerging technologies—AI-driven composition, interactive media, and digital sound design—are revitalizing cultural heritage and shaping new musical possibilities. Presented in collaboration with ICCI’s interdisciplinary digital humanities labs, the exhibition of IDMIC’s winning works enabled visitors to experience pioneering creative outputs while gaining direct insight into how digital innovation is transforming artistic expression and redefining the future of cultural creativity.
Chaoyang YU, Standing Committee Member of the CPC SJTU Committee and Director of the Publicity Department, welcomed the international jury and participants at the ceremony. He noted that as a leading Chinese university with an expanding global footprint, SJTU is deeply committed to fostering innovation where science, technology, and the arts converge, and to cultivating talent equipped for interdisciplinary futures.
He highlighted IDMIC as a valuable platform that empowers young creators and brings new momentum to the digital reinterpretation of traditional culture. YU called for continued exploration of digital music as a medium that unites artistic expression with technological advancement, enabling meaningful connection and creativity across the campus community and beyond.
Dr. Qiongyan CHAI, a judge from the Bard College Conservatory of Music and newly appointed Vice Chair of the IDMIC 2026 Organizing Committee, also shared her remarks at the ceremony. She praised the competition’s artistic ambition and international vision, and announced that Bard College will officially join the organizing team next year—further expanding IDMIC’s global network and its commitment to identifying outstanding creative talent worldwide.
Melodic Zaojing: Blending Tradition with Technology in Award-Winning Student Work
Since its founding, ICCI has embraced an educational philosophy grounded in internationalization, interdisciplinary integration, and industry relevance. Digital music, as a core component of ICCI’s digital creativity curriculum, plays a strategic role in advancing academic innovation and fostering hybrid talent capable of operating across cultural and technological domains.
In this year’s competition, ICCI’s student project Melodic Zaojing stood out for its creative synthesis of traditional zaojing visual rhythms and Eastern philosophical thought with contemporary electronic music and interactive art. The work explores the interplay between stillness and movement, form and sound, earning recognition in the Music Technology and New Media Art category (Track C). Its success highlights ICCI’s strength in cultivating talent at the intersection of technology and the arts.
Beyond technical training, ICCI emphasizes developing students’ all-round professional abilities. This year’s IDMIC was organized entirely by a student-led committee, with graduate students managing planning, outreach, jury coordination, and on-site operations. Through this experience, they gained practical insight into international event management and strengthened their global awareness and communication skills.
At the ceremony, Dean Weimin ZHANG and Deputy Secretary Heshan CHANG presented certificates to the student organizers, encouraging them to continue contributing creativity and leadership to the digital music community.
Beyond technical training, ICCI emphasizes developing students’ all-round professional abilities. This year’s IDMIC was organized entirely by a student-led committee, with graduate students managing planning, outreach, jury coordination, and on-site operations. Through this experience, they gained practical insight into international event management and strengthened their global awareness and communication skills.
At the ceremony, Dean Weimin ZHANG and Deputy Secretary Heshan CHANG presented certificates to the student organizers, encouraging them to continue contributing creativity and leadership to the digital music community.
Supported by national initiatives such as “Thousands of Vessels Sailing Abroad,” digital music is becoming a borderless, cross-cultural language for sharing Chinese culture with the world. Its universal appeal offers new creative pathways for global communication.
Looking ahead, IDMIC will continue uniting academic, industry, and research partners to build inclusive digital music experiences that transcend age, profession, and geography—shaping a forward-looking and continuously evolving ecosystem for digital music innovation.
IDMIC Jury Chair Dirk Verelst and OH Yemin, President of the Korean Electro-Acoustic Music Society (KEAMS), present the First Prize
Richard Barrett, Professor at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, presents the Second Prize
Elizabeth Anderson, Professor at the Royal Conservatory of Mons, presents the Third Prize
Professor Jixue WU from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and renowned Korean pop composer-producer YOON Ilsang present the Excellence Awards
Joris de Laet, President of Belgium’s Studio voor Experimentele Muziek (SEM), presents the Youth Award
