Others have faulted the orchestra’s managers, including Galaise, for infringing on his right to free speech, saying that the orchestra had overstepped in seeking to punish Gillham for speaking out.
The orchestra’s musicians recently passed a vote of no-confidence in the administration. “We no longer have faith in the abilities of our senior management to make decisions that are in the best interests of the company at large,” the musicians wrote.
The Cat Empire, a jazz and funk band, canceled a planned performance this month with the orchestra, writing on social media that it felt “deep sadness” over the cancellation of Gillham’s concert. “We value the principles of freedom of speech, artistic expression and inclusivity,” the group said.
Prue Bassett, a spokeswoman for the symphony, declined to comment. The orchestra said on Monday that the inquiry would evaluate the orchestra’s “policies, procedures and processes and cover protocols around freedom of speech and artistic expression onstage.”
D’Netto, the composer, said in an email that he wrote “Witness” to honor the “bravery and sacrifice” of journalists in Gaza. “Art, including classical music, has always been connected to the world around it, including its politics,” he said, citing works by Beethoven and Shostakovich.
Gillham, an Australian-British pianist who is based in London, said he planned to play “Witness” during the remainder of his tour in Australia. He said that he and D’Netto are working on a recorded version as well.
“People want to hear the piece now,” he said. “There’s a perception that everything in classical music is from 200 years ago and it’s not relevant. But through this work, we’ve shown that there is a space to talk about modern issues as well.”
Read More: How the Politics of the Gaza War Engulfed the Melbourne Symphony
