Season 38

In Defiance: Music of Exile, Resistance, and the Eternal Voice

The Chamber Music Society’s 2025–26 season, In Defiance, illuminates the lives and legacies of artists who created under the shadow of persecution, war, and exile. Spanning from the quiet resistance of J.S. Bach to the haunting power of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, written in a prisoner-of-war camp, this season explores music as both sanctuary and statement. Works by Mieczysław Weinberg, Hanns Eisler, and André Caplet echo the turbulence of the 20th century—composed in the face of censorship, displacement, and political violence. Yet alongside these narratives of struggle are moments of luminous beauty and enduring hope, from the lyricism of Brahms to the exuberance of Copland. At its heart, In Defiance is a tribute to the indomitable human spirit—where creativity persists, even when silenced, and music becomes the voice that cannot be taken.

This is more than a concert season—it’s an emotional journey through music forged in the crucible of history. In Defiance offers patrons a rare chance to experience the raw humanity behind the notes: the courage of composers who wrote in prison camps, under oppressive regimes, or in exile; the beauty they created despite fear, displacement, or censorship. These performances connect us with the resilience of the human spirit, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, art survives—and speaks. You won’t just hear world-class musicianship; you’ll witness stories of survival, quiet protest, and triumph told through some of the most powerful chamber music ever written. For anyone who believes in the enduring power of expression, these concerts are essential.