Members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Players Association have passed a vote of no confidence in senior management over their handling of a pianist who made comments relating to Gaza at a recital. “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 letter says. Pianist Jayson Gillham.
Credit: Simon Schluter “We believe it is the duty of senior management to lead and manage in accordance with the MSO’s values and behaviours however it has become apparent that these values no longer appear to be aligned with those of the Orchestra and staff.” The MSO has been under fire since its decision to remove acclaimed pianist Jayson Gillham from a concert on Thursday night, after he dedicated a piece to journalists killed in Gaza, during recital last Sunday. On Thursday, the MSO said that decision was an “error” and cancelled the entire performance instead.
At Sunday’s recital, Gillham had been introducing a new work by Australian composer Connor D’Netto called Witness , and the MSO said it received complaints about his introduction. It is clear from the letter that although this week’s incident was the tipping point, musicians have had significant concerns about the culture at the MSO for years. The letter continues: “Whilst this motion has been directly related to the events surrounding the cancellation this week, we see it as the culmination of years of unresolved concerns, ongoing mismanagement, and a consistent decline in workplace culture that has undermined the well-being of employees and the long-term success of the company.
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.” As well as calling for two senior managers to resign, the letter asks for an “impartial investigation into both the events of the cancellation of Jayson Gillham this week, and further into the general standards of leadership that have led to the ongoing issues with communication, morale, and psychosocial hazards affecting our workforce.” The MSO has been approached for comment.
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