MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING is one of the most important music festivals in China. In the past 20 years, it has annually presented a series of electroacoustic/computer music concerts by prestigious musicians within different schools and styles from all over the world. Its activities also include lectures, master classes, academic writing presentations and awards, sound installations and exhibitions of new devices, as well as the influential national electronic music composition competitions. The nation-wide competition and academic writing contest on electronic music, are held annually and every other year respectively, demonstrate the artistic and academic standard of the festival. It also encourages the young generation to actively participate the festival. As a window of international exchange, the festival has constantly introduced new concept of electronic music and the latest music technologies to China in order to bring life and energy into the festival.
The festival first started in 1994 as Beijing Electronic Music Week. Under the guidance of Professor Zhang Xiaofu. It has developed and extended its program over the last thirteen years. At first, the festival was held every two or three years. Since 2004, it took the name MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING, and has been held annually. Musicians from all over the world meet in Beijing at the end of October. The festival is enchanted with numerous concerts and activities. As the sponsor and venue of MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING, the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) supports the festival. The Center for Electronic Music of China (CEMC) of CCOM and Electronic Music Association of China (EMAC) are responsible for the management and organization of the festival. Through the cooperative efforts of international academic organizations such as ICEM, ICMA and financial supports from different enterprises, MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING is becoming a real feast of music. Its size, level, and standard have made it the most important electronic music festival in Asia.
In the past years, the festival cooperated with leading academic organizations such as INA-GRM, IMEB, GRAME, EMS and Dartmouth College. More than a hundred guest composers and scholars, including John Chowning, Curtis Roads, Jean-Claude Risset, Christian Clozier, Jon Appleton, Paul Lansky, Charles Dodge, Daniel Teruggi, Barry Schrader, Nell Rolnick, Marc Battier, Leigh Landy, and Jeffrey Stolet participated the festival. Hundreds of masterpieces by composers include Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, Luc Ferrari, Francois Bayle, and numerous new compositions were performed or premiered in the festival. As a project of the festival, the National Electronic Music Composition Competition attracts and benefits young composers from all over China.
MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING holds different themes each year. From 2005 onward, they are “MIX”, “LANGUAGE”, “SOUND.OLYMPICS”, “ASIA”, “INTERACTIVE”, “DIVERSITY”, “VIRTUAL WORLD”, “CROSS BOUNDARY”, “INNOVATION”, “SOUND-CHINA”, “aKousma”, “Time·Space” and Aural & Visual.
MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING embodies the current creation of computer and electronic music in China. The festival will continue to present established and young composers and performers, and will to continue to present master classes and concerts. We believe that MUSICACOUSTICA-BEIJING will have a more beautiful and productive future.