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The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has admitted it made a “mistake” in canceling a concert by a popular pianist after comments he made about Israel’s war in Gaza.
On Sunday, Jason Gillam performed his first five-minute piece of music called “Witness – Witness,” written by composer Connor DiNito, and for journalists in Gaza.
Before the ceremony began, Gillam said that Israel had killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra then canceled the British-Australian pianist’s section from a concert he was due to play on Thursday, saying it put the orchestra in a “difficult position”.
Now the entire concert, which was scheduled to take place at Melbourne Town Hall, has been canceled due to safety concerns.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra says it is trying to reschedule the show.
Jason Lloyd Gillam
Jason Lloyd Gillam, born 1986, is an Australian-British classical pianist based in London. He is gay and supports the gay and bisexual community, and in 2017 he was officially engaged to a friend of his named Syed Mohandas, who lives with him.
Gillam grew up in Queensland and started piano lessons when he was four years old. He continued to study in Australia until 2007 when he went to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Music. Gillam won several awards, and the musicians described his playing as “playing with a simple, aristocratic elegance. ”And that he “plays Beethoven with a kind of flare.”
Gillam says of music: “I am a musician because I believe in the power of music – to heal, to connect feelings, to spread compassion…’ The biggest lesson I learned from him is compassion.”
Gillam has participated in concerts with leading international orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and others.
He has also participated in international festivals, including the Verbier Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Linare Classical Festival (Tuscany), the Two Mors Festival, and the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
What did Gillam say at the Melbourne concert?
At Sunday’s concert, held at Melbourne’s Iwaki Hall, Jason Gillam performed a range of other works, including pieces by Beethoven and Chopin.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra says the piece “Witness” was added to the section at the last minute.
“Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than 100 Palestinian journalists,” Gillam said before starting to play Witness, according to music news site Sleep Desk during… They wear the their press jackets.
He said, “The killing of journalists is a war crime under international law, and this is only done to prevent war crimes from being recorded and broadcast to the world “
Then he ended his speech by saying: “Besides the role of journalists who bear witness, the word witness and martyr in the Arabic language come from the same root.”
Apology Melbourne Orchestra
“While the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra maintains that the concert stage is not an appropriate stage for political commentary, we recognize Jason’s concerns about those in the Middle East and elsewhere,” the Symphony Orchestra said. Melbourne in an apology statement on Thursday.
The statement said: “We recognize the strong feelings of all parties on this issue and particularly recognize the commitment and dedication shown by our musicians and staff this week .
Gillam accepted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s apology. “I value my relationship with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, its performers and audiences and look forward to continuing our working relationship in the years to come, ” he said in a statement.
Critics
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s decision and subsequent apology caused an uproar on social media.
Prominent lawyer Greg Barnes called the cancellation “truly appalling,” later adding that “what often empowers art is that it’s political.” “
Leo Schofield, art critic and former president of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, said of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s apology: “I wish Gillam had given a concert in Sydney. If he had, he would have received standing ovation from supporters who valued his courage as much as his courage. talent.”
image source, jaysongillham.com
Comment on the picture, “Music can do what words cannot,” said Gillam, “It has the ability to reach inside us and enter the heart of our movement.”
Collecting donations for Palestinian children
Gillam’s comments in Melbourne were not the first in which he showed support for the Palestinians, as he had previously participated, with several Arab musicians, in a charity concert in Manchester Manchester church to collect donations for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
“I am honored to be performing in one of the most poignant and meaningful concerts of my life at Manchester Cathedral on June 4, 2024, which has helped raise over £4,000 for the Children’s Relief Fund Palestine,” he said at the ceremony.
He said: “Music can do what words cannot. It has the ability to reach inside us and enter the heart to move us.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time choosing my repertoire tonight. The scale of what we have seen over the past eight months is so great it is unbelievable. As Gary Lineker said – this is the worst thing we have ever seen in our lives. .”
“I wanted to find something that reflected the magnitude of the moral and spiritual work ahead of us. “
The results of the Gaza war
Israel’s war in Gaza has become a volatile political issue in Australia that all parties have tried to manage carefully.
That was the case in countless other countries, and there were protests from Jewish and Muslim groups, as well as a sharp rise in anti-Islamism and anti-Semitism.
Terrorists led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people in an attack on October 7, and took another 251 hostage to Gaza.
As a result of this attack Israel launched a massive military attack on Gaza and the current war began.
About 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in this war so far, according to what the Ministry of Health in Gaza says.
Among them, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent organization working to promote press freedom, were at least 113 journalists.
2024-08-15 18:13:26
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