The Cat Empire postpones sold-out shows with MSO over Gaza furore

A prominent Australian band has postponed a run of sold-out shows with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra over senior management’s handling of a pianist who made comments relating to Gaza at a recital.

Beloved jazz-funk band The Cat Empire were scheduled to play three shows alongside the MSO at Hamer Hall next week, but on Friday night decided to pull the pin on the performances.

The Cat Empire, pictured in 2020, has postponed its three shows with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

The MSO’s decision to remove acclaimed pianist Jayson Gillham from a concert scheduled for Thursday night – after he dedicated a piece to journalists killed in Gaza during a recital last Sunday – has set off a censorship firestorm. The MSO later said that decision was an “error” and, amid the backlash over its decision, cancelled Thursday’s entire performance, citing “safety concerns”.

The Cat Empire said the band valued the principles of “freedom of speech, artistic expression and inclusivity” and could not “in good conscience” proceed with shows, which were scheduled for August 22, 23 and 24.

“This decision is incredibly disappointing as we’ve been working tirelessly to deliver an incredible show,” the band said in an Instagram post.

“We strongly support Jayson and the talented musicians in the orchestra, many of whom are our friends and contemporaries. They too have been put in an uncomfortable situation.”

Pianist Jayson Gillham had his performance last week cancelled by MSO management.Credit: Simon Schluter

The Cat Empire said it was hopeful the MSO could resolve the situation and the postponed shows could go ahead.

The band said it was “working hard” on something for fans who were travelling to Melbourne for next week’s shows.

The Melbourne-based band has been nominated for 12 ARIA awards and won one. The Cat Empire’s original members disbanded in 2021 after more than two decades of touring, before announcing a new line-up in mid-2022.

Musicians of the MSO passed a vote of no confidence in senior management on Friday following the furore over Gillham’s cancelled performance. In response, the orchestra’s board said it would conduct “an independent external review into our policies, procedures and processes”.

At last Sunday’s recital, Gillham was introducing a new work by Australian composer Connor D’Netto called Witness, which Gillham “dedicated to the journalists of Gaza”. MSO initially said it had received complaints about his introduction, which was “made completely without authority”.

In a letter, the MSO’s musicians said there had been significant concerns about the culture at the orchestra for years.

“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,” the letter said.

“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.”

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