Keynote with Vijay Gupta

Internationally acclaimed violinist and changemaker Vijay Gupta will be the keynote speaker at WAA^LA.

What happens when music leaves the concert hall and enters the heart of a community? For violinist and changemaker Vijay Gupta, the answer is transformation—both personal and collective.

Vijay Gupta; credit Kay Bawden

As the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, Gupta has spent over a decade bringing live musical experiences to some of Los Angeles’ most overlooked communities: people experiencing homelessness, those in addiction recovery, and individuals impacted by incarceration. Since 2011, Street Symphony has presented thousands of workshops and performances in shelters, jails, clinics, and hospitals, offering everything from classical and choral music to Mariachi and West African drumming.

But this work is more than outreach. Gupta describes it as a “two-way symphony,” where artists and audiences meet in a space of vulnerability, reflection, and shared humanity. The music becomes a bridge and an opportunity for mutual healing.

Gupta’s career spans over 20 years as a celebrated violinist, including 12 years with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is also a founding member of the Darshan Piano Trio and performs with Tesserae Baroque, bringing his deep artistry to stages around the world. In 2024, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This honor reflects his impact not just as a musician, but as a visionary leader redefining the role of the arts in society.

Whether on stage or in a county jail, Vijay Gupta is showing us how music can restore dignity, spark hope, and remind us of what connects us all.