Pianist sues Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for cancelling his concert allegedly over Gaza stance

Australian British pianist Jayson Gillham is suing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra over the cancellation of a concert in August.

The pianist has filed legal proceedings in the federal court, alleging MSO management cancelled the 15 August concert in Melbourne in an attempt to silence him over his stance on the conflict in Gaza.

“I was silenced for speaking the truth – that Israel targets journalists,” Gillham said in statement released on Thursday.

“This situation goes beyond just artistic freedom; it strikes at the heart of our right to free speech and the role of art in addressing important social issues.

“The MSO’s extreme reaction to factual statements highlights a disturbing trend of silencing voices that speak to uncomfortable truths.”

Gillham is taking the legal action following accusations by the MSO that making a public political statement on stage was improper and an abuse of the performer’s position.

At a concert in the Iwaki Auditorium in Southbank on 11 August, Gillham played a short piece written by Connor D’Netto called Witness, which is dedicated to journalists who have lost their lives in the Gaza conflict.

Introducing the work, the pianist addressed the audience, stating more than 100 Palestinian journalists had been killed, and that the targeting of journalists in a conflict was a war crime under international law.

The MSO has previously issued a statement saying Gillham had not been discriminated against because of his political views, and that the action management took in response to the artist’s on-stage comments was “not and never has been about free speech”.

In a statement on Thursday, the MSO confirmed Gillham had commenced federal court proceedings.

“The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is reviewing the court documents and will respond at the appropriate time,” the statement said.