[Mus-undergrad-info] Fwd: Visual Symphony 2026 Open Call | UCR Filmmakers, Visual Artists & Composers

[Ian Dicke]

Dear Music Students,

Happy Week 1!

Please see below for information about participating in the Visual Symphony
2026 festival. It is coordinated by our PHD composition student Monstar
Cao. Contact her for any questions.

Best,
Ian

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Monstar Cao <monstar.cao at email.ucr.edu>
Date: Mon, Sep 28, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Subject: Visual Symphony 2026 Open Call | UCR Filmmakers, Visual Artists &
Composers
To: Ian Dicke <dicke at ucr.edu>


Dear Colleagues and Friends,

*Visual Symphony 2026 is now open for collaboration!*

Visual Symphony is a student-led interdisciplinary audiovisual exhibition
and screening co-founded in 2024 by *Monstar Wanying Cao, a current
Doctoral student in Digital Composition at UC Riverside*, and Ziwei Tang
and Cong Le, alumni of the University of the Arts London, Central Saint
Martins (UAL). The project brings together filmmakers, visual artists, and
composers to create and present original audiovisual works through creative
collaboration between moving image and music.

Following its debut at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts
London, in 2024, Visual Symphony expanded to UC Riverside in 2025, where we
successfully presented ten original collaborative works, featuring films
and visual projects by students from UCR’s Theatre, Film, and Digital
Production (TFDP) Department and original music by student composers from
the Music Department.

Building on last year’s successful UCR screening, we are excited to bring
Visual Symphony back to campus in 2026 with an expanded screening time!
*Visual Symphony 2026 at UCR*

This year, we are planning approximately two weeks of multiple looping
screenings and a special screening event between early November and
November 20 at two UCR venues:

   - *UCR INTS Screening Room*
   - *UCR ARTS Downtown — Museum Theater*

The exhibition will provide opportunities for student filmmakers, visual
artists, and composers to showcase their work on the big screen, connect
with audiences, and develop interdisciplinary collaborations.
*Who Can Participate?*

We especially encourage students from *UCR’s TFDP, Arts and Music
Departments* to participate, although students from other departments,
universities, and artistic backgrounds are equally welcome.

Whether you are a filmmaker with an existing project that needs original
music, a composer interested in scoring a film, or an artist looking to
connect with creative collaborators, we would love to hear from you!

All genres are welcome, including narrative, documentary, animation,
experimental film, dance film, music video, and more. Works should
generally be 15 minutes or shorter.

*You do not need a completed project or a confirmed collaborator to express
interest.* If you already have an existing work or creative idea, we
encourage you to use this opportunity to explore potential collaborations
and present your work. There is no need to create an entirely new project
specifically for this exhibition.

*Participation and creative collaboration during the exhibition are free of
charge.*
*How to Join*

Interest Form Deadline: October 31, 2026

Please scan the QR code on the attached Open Call poster and complete the
Visual Symphony 2026 Interest Form.

We will follow up with exhibition updates, collaborator-matching
opportunities, online meet-ups, and submission details.

As a project organized by a current UCR student, Visual Symphony aims to
strengthen creative connections between our Music and TFDP communities
while offering students opportunities to present their work at both campus
and downtown Riverside venues.

We look forward to seeing more UCR students and their creative projects
featured in Visual Symphony 2026!

*Collaborate · Create · Present · Connect*

Best regards,
Monstar Wanying Cao
Co-Founder & Main Producer | Visual Symphony 2026
Instagram: @art_visualsymphony
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