Topology is a band with a mission: to get the music of today's leading composers out there and heard. "It's surprising," says Topology's bassist Robert Davidson, "how often I'm talking to someone very cultured about the latest books, films, theatre, and artworks, and then turn to music and find out the extent of their listening is pretty limited. Topology hopes to communicate to a sophisticated audience new to "art" music."
The quintet of saxophone, violin, viola, double bass and piano combine backgrounds in jazz, classical and pop music to make music which is good for both mind and body. "We choose music we'd like to go and hear, but find no one's putting it on. So we play it ourselves" says Davidson.
Topology was founded in 1996 and has given over 200 performances, ranging one week from performing experimental Fluxus works at the Queensland Art Gallery for the international Fluxus exhibition to playing for over 10000 as the support act for pop group Savage Garden.
Their recent project "Airwaves: 100 Years of Radio" has played to sold out audiences and will be broadcast on the 100th anniversary of Marconi's first international broadcast - 12 December (8pm on Australia's ABC FM station). In May 2001 on ABC FM alone, Topology broadcast over 10 hours of original performances.
Topology is committed to giving spirited performances of the most engaging and exciting of new music from around the world. The ensemble works regularly with leading composers and brings music rarely or never heard in Australia to audiences here.
In addition to organising their own concerts, Topology has been engaged by many festivals and organisations, including the
- Olympics Arts Festival
- Brisbane Festival
- Sydney Spring Festival
- Brisbane and Queensland Biennials
- Queensland Symphony Orchestra
- Musical Asylum
- Brisbane International Film Festival
- Queensland Arts Council
- Playing Australia
In 1998 Topology were included in the cast as musicians for the Queensland Theatre Company's production of the Marriage of Figaro, starring Geoffrey Rush and Robyn Nevin, directed by Neil Armfield. The production was revived for the Sydney 2000 Olympics Arts Festival, showing at the Sydney Opera House.
While in Sydney, Topology returned to Roger Woodward's Sydney Spring Festival, where in1999 they were awarded Best Ensemble, followed by a capacity-audience standing ovation performance in the Opera House Concert Hall.