Melbourne Orchestra Says an ‘Error Was Made’ in Cancellation of Jayson Gillham Performance After Gaza Comments

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on Thursday tried to extricate itself from controversy caused by its earlier decision to cancel future performances by Australian-British classical pianist Jayson Gillham. “The MSO acknowledges that an error was made in asking Jayson Gillham to step back from his performance on Thursday 15 August,” it said in a new statement.

Over the weekend, the musician performed “Witness,” a short composition written by Connor D’Netto which the composer said was “dedicated to the journalists of Gaza.” Before playing, Gillham added his own explanation and called the deaths of over 100 journalists during the conflict in Gaza a “war crime.” On Wednesday, MSO management announced that Gillham, a regular performer with the orchestra, would not be playing at Thursday’s concert.

It also removed his name from its website. The announcement that day said: “The MSO understands that [Gillham’s] remarks have caused offense and distress and offers a sincere apology. [The remarks] were an intrusion of personal political views on what should have been a morning focused on a program of works for solo piano.” The cancellation decision, however, was fiercely criticized by lawyers, the Australian performers’ union Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance and others, who called it censorship.

The MSO backtracked on Thursday, saying that it accepted Gillham’s concerns. But it nevertheless canceled the entire Thursday evening concert due to “safety concerns.” In a statement emailed to Variety, management said: “The MSO yesterday sought independent security advice considering events that have occurred since last Sunday’s concert with Jayson Gillham.