Quantum technology and experimental music seminar

The seminar will feature Professor Thomas Konrad, Director of the Centre for Quantum Computing and Technology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Ernest Dawkins, acclaimed Chicago-based saxophonist, composer and educator.

 

The early 20th Century witnessed profound transformations across both the arts and the sciences. New approaches emerged in music through developments in jazz and experimental composition, while quantum theory fundamentally challenged conventional understandings of reality, causality and order. Although these developments arose independently, they reflected a broader search for new ways of understanding complexity, structure, creativity and expression.

 

Through scientific presentation, live musical performance, and audience discussion, this seminar will explore how ideas such as improvisation, uncertainty, innovation and discovery emerge across both artistic and scientific practice. The seminar will also introduce the field of quantum information and its potential implications for future technologies, including computing, communication, sensing and imaging.