ISQCMC Berlin: 2nd International Symposium on Quantum Computing and Musical Creativity
DESY’s Centre for Quantum Technologies and Applications and the University of Plymouth’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research (ICCMR) are pleased to announce the 2nd International Symposium on Quantum Computing and Musical Creativity, which will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 05 and 06 October 2023.

Quantum computing is a nascent technology, which is advancing rapidly. There is a long history of research into using computers for music since the 1950s. Nowadays, computers are ubiquitous and essential for the music industry. Thus, emerging quantum computing technology is bound to impact the future of music.

A new area of research and development is born: quantum computer music. The symposium provides a forum for presenting and discussing scientific, technical, and artistic approaches to developing and using quantum computing technology in music.

ISQCMC Berlin is a follow-up from the first symposium held online in 2021, which resulted in the pioneering book "Quantum Computer Music", published by Springer in 2022.

The conference will take place at the InterContinental Berlin hotel and will be in-person only. There will be no online component for this year's edition.

We welcome submissions of original papers reporting on scientific, technical, and/or artistic developments in quantum computer music. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

- Quantum Algorithms in Music
- Quantum-computing Aided Composition
- Quantum Representations of Audio
- Quantum Signal Processing
- Musical Instruments
- Quantum Computing Software for Music
- Sonification of Quantum Processes and Phenomena
- Live performance with Quantum Computing
- Music Information Retrieval
- Hybrid Quantum-Classical Architectures
- Music Theory and Quantum Computing Intersections
- Quantum Aesthetics
- Brain Quantum Computer Interfaces
- Quantum Machine Learning
- Quantum Natural Language Processing
- Music Industry Applications
- Quantum Computational Musicology
- Quantum Computer Music in Education

We are inviting submissions in two categories:

-- Scientific Papers: We welcome scientific papers that address topics related to quantum computing and musical creativity. We plan to publish proceedings with accepted papers. Musical demonstrations can be part of the presentation. The deadline all submissions is July 1st. Authors will receive feedback by August 4th and have until September 1st to submit the camera-ready contribution.

-- Musical Demonstrations/Performances: We also invite musical demonstrations/performances that showcase the intersection of quantum computing and musical creativity. For this category, a detailed manuscript explaining the idea must be submitted by July 2nd. We will assess by August 4th if the proposed demonstrations are technically feasible.

All paper submissions will be peer-reviewed for originality, academic standards, appropriateness of topic, readability (language), and organisation.


Papers should not exceed 6,000 words. Paper oral presentations will be 30 minutes long each. There will be no poster sessions. We plan to publish proceedings with accepted papers.


The symposium will be free for students. Otherwise, a contribution of €50 towards running costs will be charged for registration. All attendees need to register beforehand. Unregistered people won't be able to enter the premises.

For more information, see https://indico.desy.de/event/38609/page/4475-information

For contact and general enquiries, please send us an email at contact.isqcmc@gmail.com

For paper submissions, use this link https://indico.desy.de/event/38609/abstracts/ OR send us your paper directly to papers.isqcmc@gmail.com, containing the authors full names and affiliations.

The ISQCMC symposia are aimed at providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion. Inappropriate, sexist, racial or harassing language and imagery will not be tolerated in any form, including social media.