Jayson Lloyd Gillham (born 1986) is an Australian-British classical pianist, based in London. In 2014, Gillham was the winner of the 2014 Montreal International Musical Competition and has since established an international career as a much sought after pianist, working as a soloist and performing with major orchestras. Gillham is known for his formidable technique, extensive repertoire and his rapport with the audience.
In 2024 Gillham was appointed Lecturer of Keyboard at Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Cancelled performance controversy
In August 2024, Gillham performed a new work by Connor D'Netto in recital at the Owaki Auditorium, booked by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). As often, he spoke prior to performing the piece (as he had done before the interval when referencing composer Ligeti's family plight during the Holocaust), which he dedicated to Palestinian journalists killed by Israel in Gaza.[17] In the speech Gillham said:
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 traveling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets. 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. In addition to the role of journalists who bear witness, the word ‘witness’ in Arabic is ‘shaheed,’ which also means ‘martyr'.[18]
The MSO management then cancelled a later scheduled performance with Gilham and the MSO.[17]
In an interview with journalist David Marr on ABC RN's Late Night Live, Gillham stated that the MSO's actions had actually highlighted the plight of Palestinian journalists, adding that he is "actually so grateful for that."[19] After intense backlash from the musician community, the Orchestra later claimed it had committed an "error" by cancelling Gillham's concert and stated it was working to reschedule it.[20] Musicians at the MSO then expressed a vote of no confidence in the orchestra's managing director.[21]
In September, responding to a letter from Gillham's lawyers suggesting a way for MSO to resolve the matter and thus dispense with further legal action, MSO's lawyers revived their initial position by stating their view that his remarks were an abuse of his appointed function.[22]
On 3 October 2024 Gillham sued the MSO, alleging that he was discriminated against based on political belief or activity, contrary to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Victoria) and the Fair Work Act 2009 (Commonwealth).[23] He said he had been "silenced for speaking the truth", and that the cancellation of his performance over his political views "strikes at the heart of our right to free speech."[24]
Case to Trial
In May 2025 the Federal Court rejected an action by the MSO and its Chief Operating Officer, Guy Ross, to have Gillham's case dismissed without trial, arguing that Gillham's claim had no prospect of success under federal workplace laws. The case will now go to trial on 1 December 2025.
The Visitation and other performances
In 2024 Gillham appeared with British playwright Tama Matheson in "The Visitation" - a play about the ghost of Beethoven making contact with a contemporary pianist. The ensuing conversations, interspersed with live music performed by Gillham, lead to an exploration of the meaning of life and the essence of art. This association led to several other plays, penned by Matheson, in which Gillham acted and performed.
2025 Artist of The Year
In 2025 Gillham was voted Limelight Magazine Artist of The Year, being the first ever to win both Critic's Choice and People's Choice awards.
The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as the AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
Gillham lives in London with his partner, Sid Mohandas, whom he married in 2016.[35][36][37] Gillham actively supports the LGBTI community and expressed his strong support in favour for the 'Yes' campaign in Australia's Marriage Equality Postal Survey.[37][38] In an interview with the Dalby Herald, Gillham said, 'It's a significant survey because it shows that Australians are on the whole socially liberal, hopeful and forward-looking".[37]
↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards – Winners by Award". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
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