ICMSV - Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver

10/13/2026

✨Have you ever experienced the history and artistry of Indian Classical Dance?

Come learn about this culture of movement with the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver and Aṣṭa Alliance! The last program in this series will feature Bharatanatyam, presented by dance educator and practitioner Vidya Kotamraju.

🪷Bharatanatyam is one of India’s major classical dance forms, with its roots in Tamil Nadu in southern India. Defined by rhythmic footwork, sculptural lines, intricate hand gestures, facial expression, and storytelling, the form brings together movement, music, rhythm, poetry, and theatre. Bharatanatyam moves between nritta, or pure dance, and abhinaya, the expressive language through which emotion, character, and meaning are communicated

🎶Vancouver-based Bharatanatyam artist, choreographer, and educator Vidya Kotamraju will introduce participants to the form through the perspective of both practitioner and dance-maker. Through demonstration, conversation, and participation, she will explore Bharatanatyam’s movement vocabulary, rhythmic structures, gestures, musicality, and expressive language.

🪄With more than three decades of dance practice, her work is grounded in the technical and expressive foundations of Bharatanatyam while exploring how the form can speak to contemporary audiences and experiences. Vidya received her early Bharatanatyam training from Sheila Jagadish Kumar in India and has continued her practice under Jai Govinda in Canada, and Bragha Bessell in India. Alongside her grounding in traditional repertoire, her artistic practice has expanded into choreography that brings Bharatanatyam into conversation with storytelling, music, theatre, visual art, and contemporary ideas.

This program is presented through our dance division, Asta Alliance, in partnership with Vancouver Public Library, and is generously funded by VPL Foundation donors

📍 VPL Kitsilano Branch: 2425 MacDonald St, Vancouver V6K 3Y9
📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
🎫 Free Admission | Registration is necessary, link in bio
📞 Telephone: (604) 331-3603
📧 Email: [email protected]

10/10/2026

See you all tonight for our finale concert in the ‘Garland of Unusual Rāgas’ theme! Doors open at 7pm, and make sure to catch our post-concert Q&A

Tickets: www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas

Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar, known for “the sheer power of her voice and rendition” (India Today), presents rare rāgas from the Jaipur-Atrauli tradition, each revealing distinctive pathways of melody and emotion. An illustrious vocalist with a seasoned musical intuition, Manjiri initially trained under Pt. C.T. Mhaiskar before studying with Pt. Madhusudhan Kanetkar, from whom she inherited the rich treasures of the Jaipur-Atrauli tradition, and later with its celebrated matriarch, Vidushi Kishori Amonkar. Her touring ensemble features acclaimed tabla maestro Sanjay Deshpande and harmoniumist Dnyaneshwar Sonawane.

This concert is part of our Baithak Series, a thematic initiative that explores esoteric aspects of Indian classical music in an engaging and accessible way. Baithaks - traditional chamber concerts - create an intimate connection between artist and audience through smaller venues with floor and chair seating. Each Baithak Series event concludes with a brief artist Q&A, offering listeners the chance to reflect on and deepen their understanding of the evening’s theme. We carry over the same theme from our last Baithak Series recital earlier this season in an effort to explore all of what a rāga is and can be, from both Hindustani and Carnatic dimensions.

📍Vancouver Unitarians

949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

📅 October 10 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)

🎟️ www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas

Get 15% off your tickets if you purchase before October 3

Use discount code 'earlybird'

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

10/08/2026

🎶 Dnyaneshwar Sonawane brings to life the compositions of Padmashri Pt. Tulsidas Borkar Guruji in Raag Bhimpalasi at the Guru Poornima Utsav on 25 Oct 2022 at Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya. He is ably supported on the tabla by Rakshanand Panchal.

Join us to witness and enjoy the performance of Dnyaneshwar Sonawane, live, at our Baithak Series, as he accompanies renowned vocalist Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar & Sanjay Deshpande on the Tabla.

📍 Vancouver Unitarians, 949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

📅 Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)

🎟️ Tickets : www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas (Link in Bio on our linktree)

📹 Video source: Dnyaneshawar Uttam Sonawane Youtube Channel

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

10/07/2026

Dnyaneshwar Uttam Sonawane is a versatile and accomplished harmonium artiste, whose musical journey began in Nashik. He received over nearly eight years of rigorous, intensive training from the renowned harmonium player Pt. Bapu Kulkarni. He mastered essential playing techniques & built a formidable foundation by deeply absorbing the complex structural nuances of gāyaki in Hindustānī Rāga Saṅgīt.

Dnyaneshwar elevated his artistry with an advanced musical education under the tutelage of internationally acclaimed harmonium player Pt. Sudhir Nayak (Mumbai) and significantly refined his skills as a premier accompanying harmonium artiste. Driven by a desire for solo expression, he explored and perfected intricate techniques for solo harmonium presentations. Concurrently, he was also carefully groomed in the unique nuances of various allied forms of Indian classical and semi-classical music. 

Dnyaneshwar holds an M.A. in Music from Nanded University and is the proud recipient of the prestigious Naad Sadhak Puraskar 2019, instituted by Rigved Sanstha, Nashik, in memory of the Late Pt. Pramod Bhadkamkar. He played the harmonium for the film *Khudbudi*, which features the renowned singer Alka Yagnik and composer Tejas. Having earned numerous accolades and awards at various music competitions, Dnyaneshwar has traveled globally to perform in high-profile concerts, conduct educational workshops, and produce commercial recordings. He has shared the stage with legendary musicians across diverse genres, including Khayāl, Thumrī, Dādrā, Ghazal, devotional, and folk music.

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

📍Vancouver Unitarians, 949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1
📅 Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)
🎟️ Tickets : www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas

Come listen, learn, and engage with us as we explore rare rāgas through the art of Khayāl!

10/07/2026

Here's a preview of the breathtaking vocal artistry of Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar as she unfolds Raag Raisa Kanada, a rare and intricate masterpiece of the Jaipur-Atrauli tradition. 

Come see her live in Vancouver on October 10 at Garland of Unusual Rāgas. She will be accompanied by Sanjay Deshpande on the Tabla & Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on the Harmonium.

This concert is part of our Baithak Series, a thematic initiative that explores esoteric aspects of Indian classical music in an engaging and accessible way.

📍Vancouver Unitarians

949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

📅 October 10 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)

🎟️ www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas

📹 Video source: Darbarfestival Youtube Channel 

https://youtu.be/zacBXUtmWtA?si=SNGgZxLP-GJ31Ppm

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

10/06/2026

Join us this Thanksgiving Monday for a special masterclass workshop with renowned vocalist Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar!

This four-hour workshop will offer students the opportunity to learn directly from Manjiri ji, exploring repertoire, technique, and the nuances of Hindustānī rāga music in an intimate workshop setting.

📅 Monday, October 12
🕐 1:00–5:30 pm, with a 30-minute tea break
📍 Burnaby, BC
💰 $40 for Kalāvāṇī students | $50 for non-Kalāvāṇī participants

The workshop is open to practitioners with at least two years of Hindustani or Carnatic music training, or as recommended by their teacher.

Kalāvāṇī and NaadSaptak students, please speak with your teacher before registering.

Spaces are limited. Visit www.icmsv.org/manjiriworkshop to register!

10/05/2026

🎧 Sound on: Shoumi Roy sings the alaap of Raga Gaud Sarang during a recent live performance.

On October 24, Hindustani vocalist Shoumi Roy closes The Salon Series with Gṛhāntara: Between Homes, a deeply personal exploration of the many ways we come to understand home, not simply as a place, but as a feeling shaped by familiarity, connection, memory, and belonging. Through rāga, melody, rhythm, and poetry rooted in the emotive tradition of Hindustani classical music and its various forms, Gṛhāntara emerges from a life lived across countries and cultures. Shoumi will be joined by Sunny Matharu on tabla, Mohan Bhide on harmonium and Pavittar Singh Namdhari on esraj.

Concert Two sold out. Seats for the finale are limited.

Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 7:30 pm (doors 6:45 pm)
Studio Theatre, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
Tickets $21

🎟️ Tickets: https://purchase.shadboltcentre.com/ChooseSeats/3602

This program is presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, and is funded in part by the BC Live Performance Network's Community Presenters Assistance Grant & Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

10/05/2026

🎶 Join us to witness and enjoy the performance of renowned vocalist Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar, live, at Baithak Series: Garland of Unusual Rāgas. She will be accompanied by Sanjay Deshpande on the Tabla & Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on the Harmonium.

📍 Vancouver Unitarians, 949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

📅 Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)

🎟️ Tickets : www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas (Link in Bio on our linktree)

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

Come listen, learn, explore, and engage with us at Baithak Series: Garland of Unusual Rāgas!

10/04/2026

🎶 Rhythmic memories from the archive. Here, Sanjay Deshpande is accompanying Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar. Harmonium support provided by Suyog Kundalkar, a disciple of Pt. Arvind Thatte.
The energy and pure magic of the performance stay timeless. This incredible concert is from Texas during their 2011 USA tour.

Join us to witness and enjoy the performance of Sanjay Deshpande, live, at Baithak Series: Garland of Unusual Rāgas, as he accompanies renowned vocalist Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar & Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on the Harmonium.

📍 Vancouver Unitarians, 949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1

📅 Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)

🎟️ Tickets : www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas (Link in Bio on our linktree)

📹 Video source: tablameister Youtube Channel

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

10/02/2026

Sanjay Vasant Deshpande, is a highly established tabla virtuoso from Pune, India.

Born into a music-loving family, Sanjay was introduced into the artistic journey by the Late Pt. Sabade. His dedication later led him to receive intensive training from the renowned tabla maestro Pt. Suresh Talwalkar of the Delhi-Farukhabad Gharana through the traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara, establishing a deep foundational command over classical rhythm.

Sanjay also had the distinct privilege of studying the nuanced beauty of the Punjab Gharana, under the guidance of world-renowned maestro Ustad Alla Rakha Khan Saheb and Pt. Yogesh Samsi. Today, he continues to refine his exceptional craft, currently training under the guidance of Pt. Vivek Joshi. This diverse and rigorous education allows him to blend traditional discipline with a unique, soulful expressiveness that captivates audiences worldwide.

Sanjay’s incredible talent has taken him to major music conferences throughout India and onto prestigious global stages. He has performed across the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Holland, Qatar, Israel, and South Korea, and participated in the World Vocal Festival in Sweden. The recipient of the coveted Ahmedjaan Thirakwa Scholarship for Solo Performance, he is a sought-after accompanist for many stalwarts and renowned artists. Furthermore, he is an empanelled Guru at Lalit Kala Kendra (University of Pune) and Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune. His fusion album, "Wind From Ayuta," created with Korean musicians, notably won the Best Album Award of the Year in South Korea in 2002.

This program is co-presented by the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver, with generous funding from Vancouver Foundation's LEVEL BIPOC Grant.

📍Vancouver Unitarians, 949 W 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2T1
📅 Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 7.30-9.45pm (doors open at 7.00pm, no intermission)
🎟️ Tickets : www.icmsv.org/garlandofragas
(Get 15% off your tickets if you purchase before October 3. Use discount code 'earlybird')

Come listen, learn, and engage with us as we explore rare rāgas through the art of Khayāl!