Vijay Gupta, piano

Vijay Gupta believes that the work of the artist and citizen is one: to make a daily practice of the world we envision. Vijay is an esteemed violinist and communicator, creating spaces of belonging, listening and wholeness.

Since 2011, Vijay has served as the founding Artistic Director of Street Symphony, which offers music as a “catalyst of human connection” for people in recovery from homelessness, addiction and incarceration. Vijay is the co-founder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance, a consortium of artists and arts organizations working and living in Skid Row - the epicenter of the crisis of homelessness in America today.

Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist...one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music,” Vijay is an active performing and recording artist, as well as a dynamic communicator. He shares his work through transformative musical lectures and workshops with students, communities, and organizations across the United States and Canada.

Vijay Gupta made his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta at age 11, and has performed as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician on an international scale since the age of 8. Vijay served as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years, which he joined as the youngest violinist in the orchestra’s history. Vijay received his musical training at the Juilliard School of Music and Yale School of Music, and holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Marist College.

For his work in bringing beauty, respite, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society, while encouraging us to reflect on many ways we can all make a difference in our world today, Vijay Gupta is the recipient of a 2018 Catherine D. and John T. MacArthur fellowship.

Vijay’s music is available on iTunes and Bandcamp, and you can follow him on Instagram, @guptaviolin.