Quick Facts
Leo
Biography
Jayson Lloyd Gillham (born 1986) is an Australian-British classical pianist, based in London. In 2014, Gillham was the winner of the 2014 Montreal International Musical Competition, which brought him to international attention. His performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 was described in the Huffington Post as being played 'with such streamlined patrician elegance that he took home First Prize and a string of engagements...' The British conductor Sir Mark Elder said Gillham 'plays Beethoven with a sort of 'glow''. In May 2015, Gillham signed a three-album deal with ABC Classics.
Early life
Jayson Gillham was born in Dalby, Queensland. He started piano lessons at the age of four. He had his first public performance at the Dalby Eisteddfod where he played a minuet by J. S. Bach. In 1993, he commenced formal piano lessons from Eugene Gienger in Toowoomba. At the age of seven, he won the Dalby Eisteddfod's Open age section. At age 14, he travelled 500 kilometres (310 mi) each week to Brisbane for piano lessons with Leah Horwitz.
In 2007, he graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Subsequently, he relocated to London in 2007 to study at the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Christopher Elton and winning the Sterndale Bennett Prize. Gillham graduated with a Master's Degree in music. Gillham was supported in his studies by the Tait Memorial Trust, and the Australian Music Foundation.
Career
In 2012 Gillham was Commonwealth Musician of the Year and Gold Medalist of the Royal Over-Seas League 60th Annual Music Competition. Other competition successes include the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and the International Chopin Piano Competition.
Concerto engagements with international orchestras include the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, and the Wuhan Philharmonic.
In May 2015, Gillham signed a three-album exclusive recording contract with ABC Classics. His debut recital album featuring works of Bach, Schubert, and Chopin was released in October 2016 and immediately reached number one in both the Core Classical and Classical Crossover ARIA charts. This first release was soon followed by his highly acclaimed live recording of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy. Gillham performed the Beethoven Concerto No. 3 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Jeffrey Tate. His most recent CD, recorded in 2017 of works by Medtner and Rachmaninoff with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Benjamin Northey was Recording of the Month in Limelight magazine. Medtner's Piano Concerto No. 1, as included in this release, will also feature in a documentary film about the life of the renowned Australian pianist Geoffrey Tozer.
In May 2018, Gillham made his debut with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Victor Aviat. He also joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on a UK tour with the British conductor Alexander Shelley. At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, Gillham with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Carter were nominated for Best Classical Album for Beethoven Piano Concertos.
In August 2024, a scheduled performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was cancelled after Gillham dedicated his speech and a work in a prior performance to Palestinian journalists slain in Gaza.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Etudes de Concert |
|
| Beethoven | Chopin | Debussy (with Cyprien Katsaris) |
|
| Bach | Schubert | Chopin |
|
| Medtner: Piano Concerto No.1; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey) |
|
| Romantic Bach: From Intimate to Epic |
|
| Beethoven: Piano Concertos (Live) (with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Carter) |
|
Awards
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as the AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Beethoven: The Piano Concertos (with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Carter) | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Medtner: Piano Concerto No 1 / Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 2 (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Benjamin Northey) | Best Classical Album | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Beethoven Piano Concertos (with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra & Nicholas Carter) | Nominated |
Personal life
Gillham lives in London with his partner, Sid Mohandas, whom he married in 2016. Gillham actively supports the LGBTI community and expressed his strong support in favour for the 'Yes' campaign in Australia's Marriage Equality Postal Survey. In an interview with the Dalby Herald, Gillham said, 'It's a significant survey because it shows that Australians are on the whole socially liberal, hopeful and forward-looking'.
