Violinist and social justice advocate, Vijay Gupta presents, “The Medicine of Music”, a 75 minute virtual conversation, violin performance, and Q&A. Gupta explores the connection between music and mental health, explaining why music’s redemptive power may hold more potential than we realize. Gupta believes that the work of the artist and citizen are one and is a leading advocate for the role of the arts to heal, inspire, provoke change, and foster social connection.

Gupta founded and began directing Street Symphony, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging underserved communities experiencing homelessness and incarceration in Los Angeles through musical performance and dialogue. Gupta has also been named one of six national Citizen Artist Fellows by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Alex Ross of The New Yorker named him “one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music,” and “a visionary violinist.” Gupta is a MacArthur Fellow and  in2019, he was named one of TIME’s “100 Next”, the magazine’s inaugural list putting a spotlight on rising stars shaping the future.

This event is co-sponsored by the Salem State Alumni Association, Center for Civic Engagement and the Healthcare Studies Department.