Exploring the Intersection of Quantum and Creativity: An Interview with Dr. Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin
Quantum Mechanics and Avant-Garde Music: Shadows of the Void by Dr. Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin has reached an extraordinary milestone, surpassing 16,000 accesses on Springer worldwide! This incredible milestone reflects the growing global fascination with quantum music, where science and creativity converge to redefine the boundaries of innovation.
To mark this occasion, we sat down with Rakhat-Bi to explore his journey at the intersection of quantum mechanics and avant-garde music, his perspectives on the fusion of science and creativity, and the exciting possibilities ahead.
How did the idea of blending quantum mechanics with avant-garde music first emerge in your work, and what drew you to this unique intersection?
My interest in correlations between science and art started long ago. In 2013, when I was 14 years old, I published a short book «Mathematics and Contemporary Music». It led to the final conclusion that «0» (zero) is mathematics is an analogue of «void» if physical space and «silence» in music. Then, my research demonstrated that classical music was born after the emergence of Isaac Newton’s classical mechanics and gravity. The phenomena of tonality as gravity in music and the sonata form as a reflection of dialectics in music appeared as major features of classical music. Contemporary music was born at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries – exactly when fundamental discoveries were made in the world of science, which radically changed our perception of the structure of the universe. This was reflected in music by the emergence of new techniques of composition and extended methods of playing instruments. Thus, my research evolved into the investigation of correlations between quantum mechanics and avant-garde music. For example, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle was reflected in the structure of selected music works of K.Stockhausen, J.Cage and others. And this is not an isolated case.
How has your journey with quantum music shaped your perspective on creativity, science, and their role in pushing boundaries?
First of all, it showed me a fantastic degree of interconnectedness between seemingly distant fields. It is possible to state that the deep entanglement rules over the many diverse areas of human intellectual activities that enrich each of them. One of the conclusions that can be drawn is that science has been profoundly influencing art, and that art can reveal previously unseen aspects of scientific research. Thus, quantum can inspire the future generations of artists while creative work can help bring to light the hidden gems and treasures of scientific discoveries. In future we may expect even greater mutual benefits from creating bridges between science and art, as they together may lead to an entirely new kind of creative force. In my own compositional practice, phenomena of quantum physics inspired the creation of my music works such as «Shadows of the Void», «Tears of Silence», «The Space of Resonance», «Serenade of Invisible Stars», «13 Notes from the Parallel Universe», «Quantum Reality», «The Sacred Universe of Particles» etc.
What unique opportunities do you see for collaborations between artists and companies like Moth, which are developing quantum tools for creative industries?
Moth aims to provide the most advanced technologies to implement the most experimental and the freshest artistic ideas. Moth does something that no one else has done before—it offers opportunities to develop artistic creativity in ways that were unthinkable before. Quantum computing can become a distinctive mark of humanity’s future and it can catalyse rapid progress in all spheres of human life. Fruition of all the plans of Moth, artists’ use of quantum computing and technologies can create diffusion of the best what science and art can offer and help define our perception of new reality.
What excites you most about the progress of quantum technologies, particularly in their applications within the creative industries?
Quantum computing is a technology of the future, and the entanglement of advanced technologies with deep and groundbreaking artistic works can establish entirely new fields. Historically, great works of music and art have been the treasury of mankind, while the development of science shaped the state and height of our civilisation. Therefore, I hope that mutually enriching collaboration between science and art in general can lead to breakthroughs in all directions.
2025 is being hailed as the ‘Year of Quantum’. What are your thoughts on this milestone, and how do you see it influencing the arts and creative fields?
Quantum mechanics and Albert Einstein’s general relativity are the most fundamental theories currently known to science. 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics highlights one of the most significant events in the history of humanity — it is exciting that one hundred years ago Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Pascual Jordan formulated the matrix mechanics representation. And quantum mechanics in general was discovered by them as well as other brilliant minds such as Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Paul Dirac, Wolfgang Pauli, Louis de Broglie, Enrico Fermi etc. These discoveries have been exerting a powerful influence on many other areas, including avant-garde music. Thus, for me 2025 as Quantum Centennial is a year celebrating one of the greatest achievements of humankind.
Huge congratulations to Dr. Rakhat-Bi, and thank you to everyone who has supported this unique fusion of quantum theory and musical innovation.
Access and download the book here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-63161-0