Quantum physics replaced the determinism of the classical worldview with probabilities and correlations that cannot be described by local realism. This gave rise not only to new technologies but also to new art forms, from paintings to music, where chance has long been a composer's tool. However, until now, aleatoric music has relied on the subjective randomness of performers or the pseudorandomness of computers. This work brings objective quantum randomness and the nonlocal correlations of entangled photons to the stage for the first time, making them the central element of a live performance.
The performance is built around a source of polarization-entangled photon pairs based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion: a 405 nm laser in a nonlinear crystal generates photon pairs at 810 nm. The photons are sent to two measurement stations, Alice and Bob, where motorized half-wave plates randomly select one of two measurement bases in less than 100 ms. After a polarizing beam splitter, the photons hit single-photon avalanche diodes, and coincidences are recorded with a temporal resolution better than 350 ps. The full cycle of basis switching, measurement, and synchronization takes about 400 ms. A software pipeline in Python, Max, and TouchDesigner converts measurement outcomes into musical events and visual imagery in real time.
In the premiere composition BruQner (Linz, September 2024), the Bell value S reached approximately 2.45, significantly exceeding the classical limit of 2 and confirming violation of the CHSH inequality. In the middle section, which used classically correlated data, S dropped below 2, and the difference in correlations was deliberately made audible through the choice of musical motifs. In the second composition, 8 Rooms (Vienna, January 2025; Washington, April 2025), the clicks of rotating half-wave plates served as a metronome with a period of 513 ms (117 beats per minute), while a two-dimensional quantum random walk governed transitions between eight musical "rooms." The visualization was built from histograms of sound events that morphed into three-dimensional landscapes, unique to each performance.
This work shows that quantum correlations can not only be measured but also directly experienced through art. Unlike traditional data sonification, where a quantum signal is merely converted into sound, here the very structure of entanglement becomes a compositional principle. This opens up a new genre of "quantum aleatoric music," where the degree of Bell inequality violation serves as a musical parameter, and the difference between quantum and classical regimes is accessible to listeners without formulas.
Promising directions include expanding the palette of mappings, from simple motifs to complex harmonic and rhythmic structures governed by the correlation matrix. Integration with quantum networks could enable distributed performances where entangled photons are shared between cities. It would also be interesting to study how listeners perceive the difference between quantum and classical correlations and to use this for science communication.
The project influences contemporary art by offering new tools for composers and media artists, and it also advances the popularization of quantum physics through aesthetic experience.
Plans include further development of the data-to-music and visual mapping system, as well as the creation of new compositions that exploit various aspects of quantum correlations, including real-time loophole closure tests.
In quantum information, the boundary between quantum and classical descriptions of complex systems remains an open question. This project demonstrates that nonlocal correlations can serve not only as a subject of fundamental tests but also as a resource for creativity, potentially stimulating interdisciplinary research into the nature of randomness and correlations.
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What the work does
The paper describes two concerts in which music and visuals were generated in real time from the outcomes of measurements on entangled photons. A Bell setup with an SPDC source and fast basis switching produced correlated random signals that were turned into musical events through a software pipeline. An S value of about 2.45 in the quantum sections and below 2 in the classical ones made the difference between quantum and classical regimes audible.
Where its strength is
The work does not merely sonify quantum data; it makes the structure of entanglement a compositional principle, introducing a new genre of quantum aleatoric music. The difference between quantum and classical correlations is cleverly used as a musical parameter that listeners can appreciate without any formulas.
Where it could go next
Worth trying
Why this may matter
Bringing quantum correlations into the realm of art could not only expand composers' expressive toolkit but also give the general public an intuitive grasp of nonclassical phenomena, thereby aiding science communication.
Nearby works in our archive
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In 8 Rooms, the clicks of motorized half-wave plates changing the measurement basis were used as percussion: their 513 ms period corresponds to 117 beats per minute, creating a live metronome driven by quantum randomness.
The idea of a "quantum conductor" leading an orchestra through entangled particles echoes motifs from Greg Egan's novel "The Quantum Thief," where quantum effects enable communication and art that are classically impossible.