Robert Davidson is a prolific composer, bassist, lecturer and founder and artistic director of Topology. Davidson studied composition with Terry Riley in California before completing a composition PhD at the University of Queensland. He previously studied South Indian vocal music in Kerala, India. Davidson’s compositions are regularly performed, recorded and broadcast around the world, in venues including New York’s Lincoln Center, Sydney’s Opera House and London’s Barbican. All of Australia’s professional orchestras and many leading soloists and ensembles have commissioned and performed his works. With Topology he has released 14 albums, and has directed numerous artistic collaborations with creators of many varied cultural and stylistic backgrounds. He has scored two documentary films: Joyride (Fifty Fifty films 2018), and Strong female lead (Northern Pictures, 2021). Dr Davidson is the head of composition at the University of Queensland and his research is in artificial intelligence and music, music theory, collaboration, music literacy and music education.
It’s a little embarrassing remembering how I became so involved in collaborating. I was invited to participate in a 1998 collaborative experiment conducted by composer Damian Barbeler. He brought together various writers, dancers, musicians, artists, designers and actors and placed
