The Forum featuring Vijay Gupta
September 29, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Imaginon: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
music and transformation
The Charlotte Center for Humanities and The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation welcomed Vijay Gupta—MacArthur Fellow, acclaimed violinist, founder of Street Symphony, and author of the memoir Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation—for an unforgettable evening of music, conversation, and reflection.
Described by The New Yorker as “a visionary violinist and a radical thinker,” Gupta has dedicated his career to exploring the extraordinary power of music to transform lives and strengthen our shared humanity. Through his work as a performer, educator, and social innovator, he has challenged audiences to consider art not simply as entertainment, but as an essential force for healing, connection, and hope.
The evening began with a light reception before guests gathered for an inspiring conversation with Vijay. Blending personal stories, insights from neuroscience, and reflections on leadership, resilience, and compassion, the conversation explored how creativity can help us navigate uncertainty and rediscover what connects us. Throughout the program, Vijay also shared live violin performances, creating an experience that was both emotionally moving and intellectually engaging.
Connect. Consider. Ignite. The program ran from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A.
The Forum has a three-part structure:
• First third: Participants connect and build relationships in small break-out groups prompted by a question;
• Middle third: Participants consider a presentation that ends with the speaker posing a community-facing question;
• Final third: Participants discuss the question, igniting new ideas and interactions.
THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More!
Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.
