Australian orchestra cancels pianist’s concert after dedication to Gaza journalists

LONDON: A performance by renowned pianists Jayson Gillham was canceled by an Australian orchestra after he dedicated a new piece of music to journalists killed in Gaza.

Gillham was scheduled to perform with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, but it was announced on Tuesday that he had been removed from the program due to remarks he made during a previous show.

Gillham’s comments, made during a Sunday recital at MSO’s Iwaki Auditorium, were described by the orchestra as “an intrusion of personal political views” during a program intended to focus on solo piano works.

In a statement, the MSO expressed regret and said it “does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views. The MSO understands that his remarks have caused offence and distress and offers a sincere apology. It has been a priority for us to address this difficult situation today.”

Gillham introduced a five-minute world premiere piece for piano by Australian composer Connor D’Netto, titled “Witness,” during Sunday’s performance. D’Netto had previously explained that the piece was dedicated to journalists in Gaza, whose “bravery and sacrifice” had deeply affected him.

Reports indicate that Gillham referenced the specific targeting of journalists by Israeli forces when introducing the piece.

In an email to patrons, the MSO clarified that “Witness” was included in the program at Gillham’s request as a “short meditative piece,” but noted that his personal remarks were made “without seeking the MSO’s approval or sanction.”

Gillham also performed a piece by Gyorgy Ligeti during the recital, discussing the Hungarian-Austrian composer’s background as a Holocaust survivor and the political context of the composition.

Gillham expressed surprise at the orchestra’s reaction, saying he “wasn’t made aware of anything that I wasn’t allowed to say or do, and it was normal to introduce the works.”

He added: “Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists. A number of these have been targeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were travelling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets.”

The decision to cancel Gillham’s upcoming performance has sparked criticism from some of the orchestra’s patrons, who argued the comments were contextual and the MSO’s response was an overreaction.

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