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
Tickets will be available to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, on the Martin Center for the Arts website. There is a four (4) ticket limit.
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.
Join us at Café Curiosity, a free pop-up coffee house, as part of the ETSU Festival of Ideas. Enjoy student essays, music, and creative performances inspired by the Common Read, John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed, and the ways we shape the world around us.
Sip coffee, tea, and tasty bites, hang out with friends, and listen, reflect, and connect in a relaxed, fun space. Come for a few minutes – or stay the whole time – and let your curiosity run wild.
Keynote Speaker: John Green
Thursday, February 26
7 P.M.
Martin Center for the Arts
ETSU Foundation Grand Hall
Tickets to John Green are sold out.
In the event of a sell-out, rush seating will be available for this event. Patrons interested in rush seating should line up in the designated queue located
at the front entrance of the Martin Center, facing State of Franklin. Beginning at
7 p.m., any empty seats will be released to patrons waiting in the rush seating queue.
Please note: The Martin Center cannot guarantee all patrons waiting in the rush seating
queue will be seated for the event. Rush seating is first-come, first served.
rush seating will be available for this event. Patrons interested in rush seating should line up in the designated queue located at the front entrance of the Martin Center, facing State of Franklin. Beginning at 7 p.m., any empty seats will be released to patrons waiting in the rush seating queue.
Please note: The Martin Center cannot guarantee all patrons waiting in the rush seating queue will be seated for the event. Rush seating is first-come, first-served.
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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