The ETSU Festival of Ideas began in 2019 as an initiative to bring thought leaders from the region and beyond to campus.
The event allows for the exchange of ideas, information and experiences for the university
community. The 2026 Festival of Ideas will feature best-selling author John Green
and violinist Vijay Gupta.
Keynote Speaker: Vijay Gupta
Tuesday, February 24
7 p.m.
Martin Center for the Arts
ETSU Foundation Grand Hall
ETSU faculty and staff will receive early access to secure tickets before the public. ETSU faculty and staff
may claim up to two (2) tickets on Wednesday, January 28, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
on Wednesday, January 28 on the Martin Center for the Arts website. Please note that a limited number of early-access tickets are available.
ETSU students will also receive early access to secure tickets before the public. Student tickets
may be claimed at the Carrier Center in the Culp beginning Wednesday, January 28, at 10 a.m. Please note: one (1) ticket may be claimed per valid student ID, and
a limited number of early-access tickets are available.
Tickets will be available to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, on the Martin Center for the Arts website.
Internationally celebrated musician, speaker and author Vijay Gupta will headline East Tennessee State University’s 2026 Festival of Ideas with a public presentation combining music and conversation titled “Why Music Education is Essential.”
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.
Through this work, he has forged spaces of dignity and belonging for individuals recovering from homelessness, addiction and incarceration.
Gupta’s forthcoming book, “Restrung” — now available for pre-order—examines the role of the arts to heal, inspire and create spaces of shared dialogue. His work has been featured by the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Congress, Hallmark, and the Richmond Forum, among many others.
A member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years, Gupta has appeared around the world as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. He is a founding member of the Darshan Piano Trio and Tesserae Baroque, and his recordings span repertoire from Bach to contemporary works.
Keynote Speaker: John Green
Thursday, February 26
7 P.M.
Martin Center for the Arts
ETSU Foundation Grand Hall
ETSU faculty and staff will receive early access to secure tickets before the public. ETSU faculty and staff
may claim up to two (2) tickets on Wednesday, January 28, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
on Wednesday, January 28 on the Martin Center for the Arts website. Please note that a limited number of early-access tickets are available.
ETSU students ETSU students will also receive early access to secure tickets before the public.
Student tickets may be claimed at the Carrier Center in the Culp beginning Wednesday,
January 28, at 10 a.m. Please note: one (1) ticket may be claimed per valid student ID, and
a limited number of early-access tickets are available.
Tickets will be available to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, on the Martin Center for the Arts website.
John Green is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and Everything is Tuberculosis. His books have been published in over 55 languages, with more than 24 million copies in print. His latest release, Everything is Tuberculosis, was an instant No. 1 bestseller and a critically acclaimed call to action on global health inequities.
John and his brother, Hank, launched the educational YouTube Channel Crash Course in 2011. This popular educational channel offers engaging courses in subjects like history, literature, and science. With over 10 million subscribers and 1.2 billion views, Crash Course has become a leading platform for accessible, high-quality learning.
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