Jayson Gillham returns with two-piano recital

Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham will return to Melbourne Recital Centre this month as part of a national recital tour that brings together two friends, two pianos and a program built around musical connection.

Keys to Life – Two Friends, Two Pianos will be performed at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on Sunday, July 19, before touring to Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney.

The concert pairs Gillham with Palestinian-Jordanian pianist Iyad Sughayer, who will make his Australian recital debut as part of the tour.

Together, the two pianists will perform a colourful program of works by Mozart, Debussy, Ravel, Khachaturian, Arensky and Chabrier, alongside the world premiere of a new commission by Palestinian-Lebanese composer Houtaf Khoury.

Gillham, named Limelight’s 2024 Artist of the Year and described by Gramophone as a “story-teller”, is self-presenting the tour independently.

He said the project was close to his heart and reflected a shared belief in music as an act of connection.

“I have been looking forward to this tour for a long time,” Gillham said.

“Iyad and I share a vision of what music can do, not just as a performance, but as an act of connection.”

“To bring him to Australian audiences for the first time, in a program this rich and this alive, feels like exactly the kind of thing I want to be doing.”

Sughayer, who is based in the UK, has performed across Europe, the Middle East, Colombia and North America. Recognised as Classic FM’s 2022 Rising Star, he is also a YCAT Artist and BIS recording artist.

He said making his Australian debut alongside Gillham was a significant personal milestone.

“Australia has always felt like a place I wanted to bring my music,” Sughayer said.

The tour also marks a notable return to Australian stages for Gillham amid his ongoing legal dispute with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Gillham launched Federal Court proceedings after the MSO cancelled a concert he had been scheduled to perform in August 2024, following onstage comments in which he accused Israel of deliberately murdering Palestinian journalists.

The pianist has alleged unlawful discrimination, adverse action and breach of contract, while the MSO has argued his remarks breached expectations around unauthorised political statements from the stage.

According to the Australian Financial Review, Justice Graeme Hill urged both parties in June to make a further attempt to settle the matter, warning that a judgment could involve findings damaging to reputations on both sides. His decision is not expected quickly if the case proceeds to judgment.

Against that backdrop, Keys to Life places Gillham back before Australian audiences in a program framed around friendship, shared humanity and live musical exchange.

The recital is designed to be festive, warm and accessible, with the two-piano format allowing the performers to move through Mozart’s wit, the shimmering colours of Ravel and Debussy, and the energy of Khachaturian and Chabrier.

Keys to Life will be performed at Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday, July 19 at 5pm. •