Duality: Listen to Light
Duality: Listen to Light
Part of the British Science Festival 2026
Saturday 19 September 2026
Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton
Duality weaves together music and physics to explore the quantum nature of light.
Join us for a unique evening where orchestral music and physics come together to explore the quantum nature of light.
Orchestral music from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries follows the story of our evolving scientific understanding of light: from electromagnetic waves to photons, from the mind-bending idea of wave-particle duality to quantum states of light in new technologies. This innovative sound experiments combines science and music.
Join Elinor Twyeffort from the School of Physics and Astronomy (University of Southampton), conductor John Traill, clarinet soloist Alison Hughes, and the City of Southampton Orchestra on a musical journey through the physics of light.
Whether you’re passionate about science, love live music or are simply curious about how our understanding of light has evolved, Duality offers an exciting and inspiring experience for all.
Experience the science behind the music
Alongside the concert, explore a series of interactive demonstrations in the Turner Sims foyer before the performance and during the interval.
Meet scientists and engineers, discover how light behaves, and experience hands-on activities that bring cutting-edge research to life.
Interactive exhibits include:
- Dancing Atoms – explore the quantum world through atomic motion.
- Sweet Science – discover how sugar can guide light like an optical fibre.
- Mission: Light for Life – see how photonics is transforming healthcare.
- Making Photon Circuits – create your own photonic circuit keyring to take home.
- Marble Run Photon Fun! – learn how photonic circuits control light through an interactive marble run.
- Double Slits Experiment – witness one of physics’ most famous demonstrations of wave-particle duality.
- Time Crystals – explore one of the newest frontiers in quantum physics.
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The British Science Festival
The British Science Festival is Europe’s longest standing science Festival, travelling to a different place in the United Kingdom each annually. The Festival, will be held over five days with events due to take place in venues, including Turner Sims, across the city from 16 – 20 September. The programme will feature roughly 100 free events, exhibitions, performances and installations that celebrate the people, stories and ideas at the heart of science.