Internationally praised for his compelling performances, Australian-British pianist Jayson Gillham is recognised as one of the finest pianists of his generation. After receiving numerous prizes from the leading piano competitions including the Leeds and Van Cliburn, it was Jayson’s win at the 2014 Montreal International Music Competition that brought him to international attention. His outstanding performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4 was praised in the Canadian press as being played ‘with absorbing and relentless elegance.’
In May 2015 Jayson signed a recording contract with ABC Classic. His debut recital album featuring works by Bach, Schubert and Chopin was released in October 2016 and immediately reached the No.1 spot in both the Core Classical and Classical Crossover ARIA charts. This first release was soon followed by highly acclaimed live recording of Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy. Jayson’s next CD album recorded in 2017 of works by Medtner and Rachmaninoff with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey received unanimous praise and was Recording of the Month at the Limelight Magazine. His solo album Romantic Bach, featuring original works and virtuoso piano transcriptions, was released internationally in January 2019. The most recent live recording of the complete Beethoven Concerti with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Nicholas Carter received international recognition and was hailed by the Gramophone Magazine among “uncovered gems of Beethoven Piano Concertos releases”.
Highlights of Jayson Gillham’s orchestral engagements include concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Alexander Shelley, Bournemouth Symphony with Victor Aviat, Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy at Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Symphony and Joshua Weilerstein, Adelaide Symphony with the late Sir Jeffrey Tate, West Australian Symphony with Asher Fisch, Auckland Philharmonic with Giordano Bellincampi, Christchurch Symphony with Benjamin Northey as well as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Nashville Symphony and Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal.
Recent and future engagements include a return to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Adelaide, Queensland and Tasmania Symphony Orchestras, debuts with the KwaZulu Natal and Johannesburg philharmonic orchestras, the CBSO in Birmingham, a duo recital with Timothy Ridout at RWCMD in Cardiff and a solo recital at the Hay Music Festival.
In recital, Jayson Gillham appeared at some of the world’s most prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Saffron Hall, St Martin in the Fields, Royal Nottingham Concert Hall, Barbican as well as Louvre Auditorium, Montreal Pollack Hall, Steinway Hall New York, Sydney City Recital Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. His festival highlights include performances at the Verbier Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Festival and Two Moors Festival among others.
Chamber music forms an important part of Jayson Gillham’s career. He collaborated with the Jerusalem, Carducci, Brentano, Ruysdael, Flinders String Quartets and the innovative Manchester Collective. Jayson toured Australia with the renowned Australian soprano Nicole Car and baritone Etienne Dupuis with concerts in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
