An Australian federal court judge on Friday ruled against a classical pianist who alleged he had been unlawfully discriminated against when his show was canceled over an onstage remark about the killing of journalists in Gaza.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra canceled a concert by Jayson Gillham in August 2024 after he dedicated a musical piece to “the journalists of Gaza,” adding a comment about “targeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were traveling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets,” days ahead of his scheduled performance.

Justice Graeme Hill of Melbourne’s Federal Court rejected Gillham’s allegation of “adverse actions” by the MSO, countering that the orchestra sought to “address the anticipated adverse impacts” of the pianist’s statement by canceling his performance and apologizing for the comments.

“I find that the MSO did have a policy for not expressing support for either side of the Israel-Gaza conflict,” Hill said in his verdict. “I find that there is a custom or practice that classical musicians do not make statements on sensitive political or social issues from the stage without approval of the host.”

“The political content of Mr. Gillham’s remarks was not a substantial and operative reason for any of the MSO’s actions,” the judge stated.

“I find that the MSO would have taken the same actions if Mr. Gillham had expressed a political belief in support of Israel, or if Mr. Gillham had made statements on any other topic that had the same impact or anticipated impact on the MSO’s business and reputation,” Hill noted.

Australian-British........

© The Times of Israel