DEFIANT REQUIEM Comes to Opera Orlando in September

Opera Orlando will present the Orlando premiere of Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín presented in partnership with Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Sings, and The Defiant Requiem Foundation as a benefit concert for the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida. This poignant and inspirational production details the incredible true story of the courageous Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp (Terezín) during World War II who performed Verdi’s Requiem while experiencing the horrors of the concentration camps. The moving concert-drama combines the magnificent music of Verdi’s Requiem with video testimony from survivors of the original Terezín chorus and footage from the 1944 Nazi propaganda film about Theresienstadt. With only a single score, they performed the celebrated oratorio sixteen times despite the atrocities taking place around them.

Conceived and created by The Defiant Requiem Foundation president Murry Sidlin, who will be on stage conducting internationally renowned soloists, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the Opera Orlando Chorus, and Orlando Sings Symphonic Chorus, the production will feature the full orchestra and 150  chorus members. Woven into Verdi’s powerful score will be the words of imprisoned conductor Rafael Schächter and others who organized the performances in the camp. 

“One can never be reminded enough of the incredible power of music and likewise the amazing power of the human spirit especially amidst such abject brutality and absolute, punishing prejudice,” stated Opera Orlando general director Gabriel Preisser. “It is truly humbling to present this unbelievable moment in history with the hope that we might never forget the millions of Jewish lives lost during WWII.”

Defiant Requiem is not just another performance of Verdi’s iconic Requiem; it’s a tribute to the inspired leadership of Mr. Schächter who was forced to reassemble the choir multiple times as members were transported to Auschwitz. Symbolizing resistance and defiance, the performances demonstrated the prisoners’ courage to confront the worst of humanity with the best of humanity: hope. 

Powerful, dramatic, and inspirational, Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín is a testament to the human spirit. Since its premiere in 2002, the Defiant Requiem has been presented more than 40 times around the world.

“We are honored to partner with these organizations to share this remarkable, artistic performance,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president & CEO of Dr. Phillips Center. “The funds raised will continue to bring our community together as we embrace love for every life.”

“Defiant Requiem is an inspirational story about hope and humanity, but it is also a reminder of how antisemitism can lead advanced societies down the path of hate and violence,” said Talli Dippold, CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center. “This ancient hatred is unfortunately resurgent today, around the world, and here in Central Florida. The lessons of the Holocaust are even more urgent and critical, as we need to push back against antisemitism and all prejudice in order to build a better world. We are proud to support this important program and help bring Defiant Requiem to Orlando.”

The idea for the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center was conceived by local Holocaust survivor, Tess Wise. Originally from Poland, Mrs. Wise believed that by studying the historic, social, moral, and ethical lessons of the Holocaust, history would never be allowed to repeat itself. She also believed that the lessons of the Holocaust provided a lens through which we could understand contemporary social and human rights issues.

As one of the oldest facilities of its kind in the United States, the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida continues to make an impact, using education to reach tens of thousands of students each year. Through its Holocaust-based education program, the center has helped reduce instances of bullying and promoted empathy and inclusiveness throughout Central Florida and its public schools via programs like UpStanders: Stand Up To Bullying initiative. Launched in 2010, the program empowers students and teachers to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, reaching more than 34,000 students across four Central Florida school districts. 

Orlando Sings executive & artistic director Andrew Minear stated: “The music of Verdi's Requiem is incredibly powerful and compelling on its own, and when presented in the context of this true story where people bravely raise their voices together in the face of unimaginable cruelty, we renew a deep impulse for hope and encounter the incredible resilience of the human spirit.”

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