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Vijay Gupta to keynote East Tennessee State University Festival
The Los Angeles Philharmonic veteran will discuss “Why Music Education is Essential” at the event.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 28, Jan 2026
- 16:03 EST
- 22
Vijay Gupta / music.yale.edu
Internationally acclaimed violinist Vijay Gupta was named the keynote speaker for East Tennessee State University’s 2026 Festival of Ideas, scheduled for Feb. 24 at the Martin Center for the Arts.
Gupta will present a program titled “Why Music Education is Essential,” combining music and conversation as part of the university’s annual public forum on ideas, culture and society.
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The ETSU Festival of Ideas, launched in 2019, is designed to bring leading thinkers, writers and artists to campus to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences within the university community and the broader region. The 2026 festival will also feature best-selling author John Green.
Gupta is the founder and artistic director of Street Symphony, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit that has presented thousands of musical workshops and performances in shelters, clinics, county jails, state hospitals and prisons.
The organization focuses on creating musical experiences for people reentering society after homelessness, addiction and incarceration.
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A former member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gupta served with the orchestra for 12 years and has appeared internationally as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.
He is a founding member of the Darshan Piano Trio and a member of Tesserae Baroque, with recordings spanning repertoire from Bach to contemporary works. In 2024, he was named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Gupta is also the author of the upcoming book Restrung, which examines the role of the arts in healing, inspiration and shared dialogue.
His work has been featured by organizations including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Congress, Hallmark and the Richmond Forum, and he has delivered three widely viewed TED talks.
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