Vijay Gupta

There are plenty of musicians who play charity concerts for underserved populations. But for Vijay Gupta, one-off performances aren’t enough. In December, the violinist left his post at the Los Angeles Philharmonic to work full time at his nonprofit Street Symphony. With the organization, he brings musicians into shelters, clinics and jails to perform, teach music lessons and engage in conversations about justice and oppression. His efforts earned him a MacArthur “genius” grant last year. The violinist hopes Street Symphony, which is made up of more than 90 musicians, will help break down socioeconomic walls, one jam session at a time. —Andrew R. Chow