The Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) and the University of Plymouth’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) are collaborating to present a performance of music created with quantum computers. The event, scheduled for January 30th, 2024, will feature music composed by Eduardo Reck Miranda using quantum computing technology. The compositions, including “Zeno 2.0” and “Swirling Qubits,” leverage quantum mechanical phenomena to create unique musical responses. The event will also include demonstrations of a brain-computer interfacing system and discussions on the interplay of Quantum Light and Quantum Music by ECDF-Professors Berit Greinke and Janik Wolters.
Quantum Computing and Music: A Revolutionary Concert
On January 30th, 2024, the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) will present a unique performance of music created with quantum computers at the University of Plymouth’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR). This event is a collaboration with the Wearable Computing Group of Berlin University of the Arts and ECDF. Unfortunately, the event is already fully booked.
Pre-Concert Talks and Demonstrations
Before the concert, Eduardo Reck Miranda from ICCMR, University of Plymouth, will introduce the field of gate-based quantum computing and its application in music creation. ECDF-Professor Berit Greinke from the University of the Arts and Einstein Center Digital Future will discuss research on textile wearables and music performance. ECDF-Professor Janik Wolters will delve into the interplay of Quantum Light and Quantum Music. The scientists will also demonstrate a brain-computer interfacing system.
The Concert: Performances and Compositions
The concert will feature two compositions by Eduardo Reck Miranda. The first, “Zeno 2.0,” is for alto flute, bass clarinet, and electronics, performed by Carla Rees, Fie Schouten, Eduardo Reck Miranda, and Paulo Itaborai. The second, “Swirling Qubits,” is for Q1Synth and gestural controllers, performed by Federico Visi and Maria Aguado.
Quantum Computing in Music: Zeno 2.0
“Zeno 2.0” was composed using generative AI algorithms running on quantum computers. The performance involves live interaction with an IQM quantum computer based in Finland. The QuPoly program, developed with a team at ICCMR, listens to the flute and the clarinet and uses quantum mechanics to produce musical responses during the performance. The piece is a tribute to Zeno of Elea, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher and mathematician.
Quantum Computing in Music: Swirling Qubits
“Swirling Qubits” involves the use of the Q1Synth, a musical instrument that renders sounds from quantum states. The performer uses gestural controllers to create quantum states with four connected Q1Synths. The music is produced by putting their qubits in superposition and entanglement. The instrument is connected via the Internet to an IQM quantum computer to calculate the respective quantum states. The Q1Synth instrument was developed by the composer and his team at ICCMR.
The Evolution of Music through Technology
In the 20th century, avant-garde composers like Edgar Varèse, John Cage, Pierre Boulez, and Karlheinz Stockhausen changed the face of music through electronic technologies and experiments with rule-based models and open forms. With the advent of digital computers, these methods became mainstream. Now, the music of the 21st century is changing through Artificial Intelligence, new types of computers, and new types of interfaces, most notably, quantum computers, brain-computer interfaces, and smart fabrics.
Quantum Computing: The Future of Music
Quantum computing deals with information encoded as quantum bits – or qubits. Qubits process information in fundamentally different and potentially more powerful ways than digital bits. This new technology is bound to open new and exciting opportunities for creative practices, including music. The upcoming concert by ECDF and ICCMR is a testament to the potential of quantum computing in revolutionizing the music industry.
