Many musicians and artists were held captive by the Nazis at the concentration camp at Terezín. Raphael Schaechter, a well-known conductor and composer, was among the prisoners. He recruited choir members from among the prisoners and taught them the Verdi Requiem—by rote, from a single score. Half of the original 100 singers were murdered in the gas chambers before the Requiem was performed. Schaechter engaged more singers, and more were deported to Auschwitz or other death camps. Those who remained continued with Schaechter's vision. For these singers, the Requiem became a refuge. Singing restored their dignity and gave them hope.

I have always believed that the highest purpose of music is to lift us beyond the earthly concerns and despair of the world. For me, music at its finest is an expression of the soul. I feel closest to God when I am performing. The Defiant Requiem exemplifies the way in which music and art transcend the darkness of the world.