Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Bach Week
Chamber musician and leader with ensemble-in-residence Tesserae, performing works of Jacquet de la Guerre, Reena Esmail, and GF Handel.
Residency with IRIS Collective
Vijay Gupta gives his Iris debut with a personal and collaborative program that connects masterworks of the past with the music of our time. The evening features Bach’s E Major Partita interwoven with Kurtág’s Signs, Games and Messages, a movement from Darshan by Reena Esmail, and Beethoven’s vibrant Septet in E-flat Major, performed with members of the Iris Collective.
Meera Kahe: Tesserae Baroque
Tesserae presents the Los Angeles premiere of Meera Kahe, a new cantata by Reena Esmail, coupled with music by Couperin and de la Guerre.
Barber Violin Concerto with Spartanburg Philharmonic
The American Dream Lives On
From distant shores to dazzling stages, this program tells the story of artists who left their homelands in search of new opportunities, bringing with them rich musical traditions that would flourish in America. Their works—filled with passion, movement, and innovation—embody the spirit of reinvention and triumph. Dai Wei’s Dancing Moonlight shimmers with vibrant energy, blending Eastern and Western influences in a mesmerizing musical dialogue. Acclaimed violinist Vijay Gupta takes center stage for Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, a work of lyrical beauty and virtuosic brilliance that stands as a testament to Neo-Romanticism. Finally, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances bursts with rhythmic fire and nostalgia, a dazzling reflection on past and future. This season finale is one of wonder, resilience, and breathtaking music.
Sierra Madre Playhouse: Sierra Madre, CA
Darshan Piano Trio
Darshan Trio brings a visionary, boundary-expanding approach to classical music, creating immersive multimedia experiences that connect music across centuries and cultures. Formed by pianist Dominic Cheli, violinist Vijay Gupta, and cellist Yoshika Masuda, the trio’s programs blend storytelling, visual design, and world-class artistry that challenge tradition and spark curiosity. Meaning "vision" in Sanskrit, Darshan Trio embraces the power of music to create new ways of seeing, and being seen.
Vijay Gupta: The Medicine of Music
Music isn’t a form of entertainment. It’s a lifeline. For Vijay Gupta, all art is a kind of soul-metabolism: a way of transforming pain, grief and trauma into something which nourishes. Described by The New Yorker as “a visionary violinist and a radical thinker in the classical music world,” Vijay is an internationally celebrated musician, speaker, and advocate who bridges the worlds of art, justice, and healing. In hopeful, inspiring talks, he shows us creative ways to revitalize our sense of hope and belonging.
Vijay 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, county jails, state hospitals, and prisons—creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration. For Vijay, music is not entertainment. It’s a lifeline, a way to process pain, reclaim dignity, and transform grief into belonging.
A member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years, Vijay has performed globally as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician and is a founding member of the Darshan Piano Trio and Tesserae Baroque. His recordings span repertoire from Bach to contemporary composers, and in 2024, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Vijay is a dynamic communicator whose three TED talks have garnered millions of views. He has delivered keynote addresses for the American Medical Association, The Richmond Forum, The Aspen Institute, Hallmark, Accenture, the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. Psychiatric Congress, and the League of American Orchestras. In 2026, Grand Central Publishing will release his memoir Restrung, exploring loss, resilience, and the power of music to transform the human spirit.
Spark Salon: Unlikely Collaborators
Music as Medicine with Visionary Violinist Vijay Gupta
https://www.salons.unlikelycollaborators.com/spark-salon-vijay-gupta
Keynote: Change Med Ed, American Medical Association
https://www.ama-assn.org/member-benefits/events/changemeded-2025
Sierra Madre Playhouse: Sierra Madre, CA
Street Symphony: Stories of Home
Experience the powerful work of Street Symphony at the Playhouse, where music becomes a bridge to connection, healing, and hope for LA’s homeless and incarcerated communities. Founded to bring transformative musical experiences to Skid Row shelters, clinics, and LA County jails, this nonprofit organization goes beyond performance to foster lasting relationships grounded in renewal and recovery. By joining us for this inspiring evening, you’ll directly support Street Symphony’s mission, helping them continue to grow and expand their vital work in bringing dignity and connection through music to those who need it most.
Sierra Madre Playhouse: Sierra Madre, CA
Renowned violinist Vijay Gupta is joined by choreographer/dancer Yamini Kalluri, presenting a program of music by JS Bach and Reena Esmail. Hailed as a "visionary violinist" by The New Yorker, Gupta's virtuosic performances and visionary curation exemplify the connective, humanizing force of music, sharing hope and inspiration across communities. Gupta and Kalluri's program weaves poetry, music and a combination of modern and traditional Kuchipudi dance in an evening of poignant rediscovery.
UC Irvine: San Diego, CA
LIFTED at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is partnering with SWC to launch a demonstration project that extends access to earn a UC BA degree to students enrolled in courses at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD).
45th Parallel: Portland, OR
Greg and Vijay raised the roof so high that we couldn’t wait to bring them back for another high energy concert! Vijay’s been widely praised for his work in Los Angeles with the Street Symphony, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Soon to be releasing a book, Vijay continues to wow musicians and appreciators alike with his collaborations, brilliant playing, and transformative ideas.
This performance is part of a week-long residency with Vijay which will bring 45th Parallel musicians to perform for our social service partners in our community.
Chatter North: Santa Fe, NM
Music by Kenji Bunch, Sergei Prokofiev, Jean-Marie Leclair and Reena Esmail
Greg Ewer, Vijay Gupta violin
Vijay Gupta spoken word
Vijay Gupta is a violinist and social justice advocate. An esteemed performer, communicator, and citizen-artist, Gupta is a leading advocate for the role of the arts and music to heal, inspire, provoke change, and foster social connection. Gupta is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, a non-profit organization providing musical engagement, dialogue and teaching artistry for homeless and incarcerated communities in Los Angeles. 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 Gupta is a 2018 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow.
Greg Ewer, hailed by The New York Times for his “refinement and spirit,” has been a member of the Oregon Symphony since 2001. Greg is also well known to Portland audiences for his regular appearances with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Third Angle New Music Ensemble, and Pink Martini. He is also the founder and artistic director of 45th Parallel, a highly acclaimed chamber music series founded in 2009, featuring musicians of the Pacific Northwest.
Tesserae Baroque: Pasadena, CA
The West Coast premiere of a new cantata by Reena Esmail, coupled by vocal music by Elisabeth de la Guerre.
Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena, CA
Radiant, intimate, and gripping, Aflame offers ageless counsel about the power of silence and what it can teach us about how to live, how to love, and, ultimately, how to die.
Residency: Emmanuel Music, Bach Institute
https://www.emmanuelmusic.org/learn-engage/the-bach-institute
Street Symphony: 9th Annual Messiah Project and RE/Sound Festival
A day of service and celebration at The Midnight Mission, Los Angeles.
Residency at Butler College, Indiana
Convocation, masterclass, community keynote, and a performance with the student orchestra.
Strings Festival: Steamboat Springs, CO
Vijay Gupta will perform in Steamboat Springs in July and August 2024, presenting works by Reena Esmail with Yamini Kalluri, and others.
US Public Health Services Annual Conference
Vijay Gupta delivers the keynote address at the annual conference of US Public Health officers.
Darshan Piano Trio in La Jolla, CA
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Darshan Piano Trio at Yellow Barn
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
James Madison University
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Tidal: Spring Health
“Shape What’s Next in Mental Health”: Keynote Lecture in Encinitas, CA.
Suzuki Association of the Americas/American String Teachers Association
Keynote address in Louisville, KY.
https://www.astastrings.org/site/2024-national-conference
