Season 38

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

The Chamber Music Society’s 2025–26 season, In Defiance, explores the resilience of artistic expression in times of persecution, war, and exile. This deeply human season reveals how composers responded to turmoil—not with silence, but with profound beauty and courage.

The journey begins with the lyricism of Mozart’s “Kegelstatt” Trio and the soulful wit of Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata, setting a tone of personal voice and bold individuality. From the romantic verve of Beethoven’s Op. 130 quartet to the haunting power of Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon, music becomes a force of resistance and reflection.

Throughout the season, audiences will encounter works born from adversity: Mieczysław Weinberg’s brooding String Quartet No. 6, Hanns Eisler’s stark Klavierstücke, and Schulhoff’s genre-blurring Concertino—each created in defiance of regimes that sought to silence them. The gripping allegory of André Caplet’s The Masque of the Red Death and the quiet strength of Jaquet de la Guerre’s harpsichord suite speak across centuries, connecting us with artists whose voices were nearly lost to history.

This season also embraces composers whose careers were shaped by marginalization and resistance: Leo Smit, Ethel Smyth, and Henry Cowell offer works of fierce originality, while Sarn Oliver and Joseph Peterson bring contemporary urgency to the theme with powerful world premieres.

Moments of light shine through this tapestry of struggle—the joyful shimmer of Copland, the heart of Brahms, the exuberance of Dvořák and Mendelssohn. Whether through the clarity of Bach, the drama of Rossini, or the mythic soundscapes of Vaughan Williams and Reinecke, each program reminds us that music can be both sanctuary and outcry.

In Defiance is more than a concert season—it is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. These performances offer 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.