Shining a Light Through Music
Just as music exists to connect us, Iris exists to build on those shared connections. We partner with different community groups to use music as a tool to foster conversations and deepen our connection to each other and our common interests.
4
CHAMBER CONCERT SERIES TO REACH ACROSS MEMPHIS
10,000+
PEOPLE REACHED EACH SEASON
Meaning in Action
VIJAY GUPTA
January 27-29, 2026 | Hospitality Hub
Violinist and social justice advocate Vijay Gupta makes his Iris debut with a residency that pairs chamber music performances with community engagement at the Hospitality Hub. Gupta will share music with individuals experiencing homelessness, creating space for dignity, healing, and human connection.
AWADAGIN PRATT
April 21-23, 2026 | Memphis Allies
Grammy Award-winning pianist Awadagin Pratt returns to Iris for a residency that includes both concert performances and collaboration with Memphis Allies. Through this partnership, Pratt will connect with youth and families most at risk of gun violence, using music and creativity to support safer, thriving neighborhoods across Memphis.
Past Projects
Local veterans workshopped their own interpretation of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale with Iris musicians and delivered their creative responses on the GPAC stage to the new music inspired by their responses.
AWADAGIN PRATT: BLACK IN AMERICA
Iris Collective engaged with world-renowned pianist Awadagin Pratt to bring Black in America, his film about personal experiences with racial profiling, to Memphis. The film was accompanied by Pratt and Iris musicians and ended with a panel discussion facilitated by the National Civil Rights Museum.