Pianist Jayson Gillham – Limelight’s 2024 Artist of the Year – will return to Australian stages in July with a self-presented national tour that also marks the local debut of Palestinian-Jordanian pianist Iyad Sughayer.

Titled Keys to Life – Two Friends, Two Pianos, the recital tour will visit Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, pairing the two musicians in a program for two pianos that ranges from Mozart to Ravel and Debussy, alongside a new commission by Palestinian-Lebanese composer Houtaf Khoury.

Jayson Gillham. Photo © Rémi Chauvin

The tour comes at a charged moment for Gillham, who is preparing for a Federal Court showdown with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in May.

The dispute arose from the orchestra’s cancellation of a previous appearance after remarks connected to a work by composer Connor D’Netto referencing Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, a decision that sparked national debate about politics in performance and...