Pianist Jayson Gillham's case against MSO mustn't turn into roving inquiry' on Middle East conflict, judge warns

"Justice Graeme Hill told the court before opening submissions in the trial that while he was aware the matter had attracted public controversy: “This is not a case about that public controversy, and I'm not going to let the case turn into a roving inquiry about that public controversy. Things about a situation in the Middle East are not, as I see it now, part of the legal issues in this case, even if they are part of the reason we are here.”"

"Gillham is suing the MSO over a cancelled Melbourne concert he was contracted to perform on 15 August 2024, a cancellation which he claims was an attempt to silence him over his stance on the Gaza conflict. At a performance four days earlier in Southbank's Iwaki Auditorium, Gillham had played a short piece called Witness, composed by Australian multimedia artist Connor D'Netto, which he dedicated to Palestinian journalists who were killed by Israeli forces."

"Introducing the work, the pianist addressed the audience, stating that 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 trial is set down for 15 days and started in the federal court in Melbourne on Monday."

"Gillham's barrister, Sheryn Omeri KC, said in her opening submission that there was nothing in the MSO contract that prevented Gillham from making the statement. The statement was his genuinely held political belief, and nothing about it would have had such an effect on the audience that the MSO was warranted in cancelling the future performance. She said Gillham was applauded after performing Witness despite claims from MSO that it wa"

A classical pianist, Jayson Gillham, is suing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra after a contracted Melbourne concert on 15 August 2024 was cancelled. He claims the cancellation was meant to silence him due to his views on the Gaza conflict. Four days earlier, he performed a short piece titled Witness at Southbank’s Iwaki Auditorium, dedicated to Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli forces. During the performance, he told the audience that more than 100 Palestinian journalists had been killed and that targeting journalists in conflict is a war crime under international law. The trial is scheduled for 15 days in the federal court in Melbourne. The judge said the case would not turn into a roving inquiry about Middle East events, and the legal issues would remain focused on the dispute.

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