Pianist Jayson Gillham, who was supposed to be on stage this Thursday, has been sanctioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for dedicating a performance to the Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) has expressed concerns over freedom of speech.
ADVERTISEMENTAustralian-British pianist Jayson Gillham has been sanctioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) after making remarks on the deaths of Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
At the concert at the Iwaki Auditorium on Sunday, Gillham, 37, performed a range of works, from Beethoven to Chopin. He also played 'Witness', written by Australian composer Connor D'Netto, which the MSO says was a last-minute addition.
The piece was dedicated to “Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza.”
"Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists," Gillham said before starting the piece. “A number of these have been targeted assassinations of prominent journalists" who were travelling in marked press vehicles or wearing press jackets, he claimed.
"The killing of journalists is a war crime in international law, and it is done in an effort to prevent the documentation and broadcasting of war crimes to the world," he added.
The Australian orchestra responded by cancelling an upcoming performance by Gillham and issued the following letter to its subscribers:
“During Jayson Gillham’s performance yesterday (Sunday 11 August) Mr Gillham made a series of introductory remarks prior to giving the world premiere of the Conor D’Netto piece Witness, a late addition to the advertised programme. Witness was accepted for performance at the request of Mr Gillham on the basis that it was a short meditative piece. Mr Gillham made his personal remarks without seeking the MSO’s approval or sanction. They were an intrusion of personal political views on what should have been a morning focused on a program of works for solo piano.”
The statement continues: “The MSO does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views. Mr Gillham will not be performing in the advertised concert with the MSO this Thursday night at Melbourne Town Hall. Customers will be advised of this change to Thursday’s program as soon as possible. The MSO was at no point made aware of the content of the remarks Mr Gillham was intending to make. They were made completely without authority.”
Gillham went on to issue a clarification through his PR agency, releasing the comments made by the pianist during his performance.
“During the concert, Mr Gillham introduced each work, including the world premiere of “Witness” by composer Conor D’Netto. With Mr D’Netto’s express permission, Mr Gillham provided context for the piece, referencing the tragic deaths of journalists in Gaza - a topic of significant personal importance to him."
The statement concluded by saying: “In addition to the role of journalists who bear witness, the word Witness in Arabic is Shaheed, which also means Martyr. Mr Gillham is not making any further statement at this time.”
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), the union representing musicians, expressed being “disturbed” by the MSO’s decision to sanction Gillham for his comments.
“Musical and artistic expression have long been a vehicle for political commentary and a lens through which we examine the world, and MEAA is concerned that freedom of expression is being compromised across the creative workforce,” an MEAA spokesperson said.
“MEAA members stand in solidarity with Jayson Gillham and with journalists working in Palestine.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent organisation advocating for press freedom, has reported that more than 100 journalists have been killed since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Israel Defense Forces have said that while they do not intentionally target journalists, they cannot ensure their safety in Gaza.
