Vijay Gupta

Vijay Gupta is a renowned performer, communicator, and citizen-artist. He is a leading advocate for the role of the arts and music to heal, inspire, provoke change, and foster social connection. Vijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, an organization that provides musical engagement, facilitates dialogue and shares teaching artistry for homeless and incarcerated communities throughout Southern California. 

Recognized for his “dedication to bringing beauty, respite, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society while demonstrating the capacity of music to validate our shared humanity”, Vijay is a 2018 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow. He is an in-demand speaker, educator and disrupter. He currently serves on the faculty of The Colburn School and Longy School of Music. He also serves on the board of directors of the DC-based national arts advocacy organization Americans for the Arts, as well as Los Angeles’s beloved 24th Street Theatre. 

An acclaimed violinist and seasoned international performing artist since the age of 8, Vijay made his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta at age 11. At age 19 he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007, served as a member of the First Violin section through 2018. He has appeared as a guest concert master with the Los Angeles Opera and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, and is an active recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. 

Vijay holds a BS in biology from Marist College (‘05) and an MM in violin performance from the Yale School of Music (‘07). He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of La Verne and the 2017 Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award from the Longy School of Music. Vijay is a 2017 CitizenArtist Fellow with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a 2011 TED Senior Fellow.