Australia’s Topology Push Musical Boundaries at Salihara Festival

As part of the Australian Embassy’s month-long cultural festival OzFest 2010 (from 17 September to 17 October 2010), Australia’s leading contemporary music quintet Topology will feature at this year’s Salihara Festival in Jakarta.

Topology will present two programs Lucid Dreaming and Corridors of Power on 3 and 4 October 2010 respectively and provide workshops to Indonesian musicians and students on 2 October 2010. Lucid Dreaming will see Topology mix international composers’ work with their own while Corridors of Power aims to focus on recorded speech and the musical quality of speech.

Formed in 1996, Topology’s energetic and full-bodied sound invigorates audiences with a progressive approach to contemporary classical music. It grapples with diverse themes and layers of ideas, including politics, philosophy, and issues of modern life, often with a great sense of fun.

Topology have also worked across many genre boundaries, collaborating with pop, jazz, comedy and techno artists while still maintaining their original chamber music inspired approach. They play at the most recognised Australian and international music festivals and have released seven CDs on Australian and international labels. Topology toured Indonesia in 2007 where they did two performances at the Surabaya Arts Festival.

The five members of Topology visiting Indonesia include Robert Davidson, the group’s Artistic Director, composer and bass player; John Babbage, saxophone player and composer; Bernard Hoey, the group’s arranger and viola player and also the principal viola player at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Therese Milanovic, an award-winning pianist and Rachel Smith who plays the group’s violin. Brett Cheney will also accompany the group on sound design.

“We warmly welcome Topology back to Indonesia and see their performances at the Salihara Festival as an opportunity to showcase to a wider Indonesian audience Australia’s unique artistic diversity and creativity, “said Australia’s Chargé d'Affaires Paul Robilliard.

Topology’s visit to Indonesia is funded by the Australian Government, through the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC) - Australia’s key cultural diplomacy body in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Media Enquiries:
Sanchi Davis, Cultural Attaché tel. (021) 2550 5260 mob. 0811 936 302