GOVERNANCE

Akhil Jobanputra | President & Artistic Director

Akhil Jobanputra is a dedicated practitioner of Indian classical music and a young performing arts leader and curator based in Burnaby, British Columbia. He began his journey in Indian classical music at the age of three, learning from various teachers across different gharanas over the years, which brought him under the tutelage of Gurus Dr. Pandit Arun Dravid and Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis since 2017. Akhil's deep-rooted passion for Indian classical performing arts led him to volunteer for various local organizations during his childhood, observing how events were being organized, curated, and received. At the age of twelve, Akhil founded the Indian Classical Music Society of Vancouver (ICMSV) as a means to help these organizations promote their events in a centralized location and bring communities together in support of them. After much encouragement from the community to curate his own events, Akhil initiated the registration of ICMSV as a non-profit in December 2017, along with its founding Board of Directors: Harsimran Sachdeva, Sunny Matharu, Monica Koodoo, Arno Kamolika, and Sazid Hasan. Since then, he has curated a series of initiatives and events aimed at increasing awareness, accessibility, and education around Indian classical music and dance. An educator and performing artist in his own right, to learn more about Akhil's music please visit: www.akhiljoban.com

The President provides leadership and vision for the organization, ensuring alignment with the mission and strategic goals. As the primary representative of ICMSV, the President works closely with the Board of Directors to guide the organization’s growth and overall sustainability.

​Dhvani Parekh | Director of Administration

A champion of Indian classical arts, Dhvani is committed to preserving and promoting these rich traditions on a global stage. As the Director of Administration at ICMSV, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the organization’s efficiency, governance, and strategic direction. She leads board operations, oversees regulatory compliance, and drives key administrative initiatives that empower ICMSV to flourish. With a strong foundation in education and nonprofit leadership, Dhvani brings a wealth of experience in project management, stakeholder collaboration, and organizational development. Before joining ICMSV, she was on a mission to expand access to quality education in India through her roles at Teach for India and CodeChef. Beyond administration, Dhvani is dedicated to forging deeper connections between ICMSV and its supporters. She works closely with the leadership team to enhance volunteer participation, outreach initiatives, and cultural programming—ensuring that Indian classical arts remain vibrant, accessible, and inspiring for future generations.

The Director of Administration oversees and ensures the proper management and coordination of general administrative matters pertaining to the society and its Board of Directors. 

Alka Tandan | ​Director of External Affairs

Alka joined the ICMSV Board in January 2019. She has transitioned from Director-at-Large to Treasurer, and co-chairs the Marketing Committee. Outside of ICMSV, Alka is a seasoned customer experience and customer insight professional, working with a range of clients from start-ups to F100 brand. Drawing on an eclectic range of analytic techniques and business models, she has helped companies harness customer focused approaches and technologies to drive usage, growth, retention, and revenue. Alka first became involved with ICMSV to improve her record of attendance at events. She became more engaged as she discovered the mix of musical expression and education, in order to broaden the audience for these classical forms.​

The Director of External Affairs leads the organization’s outreach, media, and partnership initiatives, developing strategies to expand ICMSV’s visibility, foster new relationships, and enhance its reputation in the community and beyond.

Utkarsha Kale | Director of Volunteer Management

Utkarsha is a passionate Indian classical vocalist with over two decades of dedicated training. Originally from Pune, India, she began her musical journey in 2002 under Smt. Asawari Aserkar, earning her Sangeet Visharad from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalay Mandal. She further honed her artistry under Pt. Vijay Koparkar and, since relocating to Canada in 2019, has been deepening her expertise in the Gwalior Gayaki under Smt. Aparna Gurav. She is also learning a well-groomed approach to singing in the Agra Gayaki and Dhrupad under Pandit Arijit Mahalanabis. In addition to her classical training, Utkarsha holds a Diploma in Natyasangeet from Vidyadhar Gokhale Sangeet Natya Pratishthan and has performed across North America at prestigious platforms such as ICMSV's Sahabhāva series, Pratibha Arts’ Sadhana/Tarana series in Toronto, Marmabandhatil Thew for MSBC, NAAD Foundation’s Vasantotsav, as well as in cultural festivals and All India Radio (AIR) broadcasts.

Beyond music, Utkarsha is a certified Hatha Yoga practitioner and teacher with over a decade of experience. She actively teaches Indian classical music and Yoga in the Lower Mainland while balancing her artistic pursuits with a full-time career in IT. Utkarsha served as Co-Chair of Marketing at ICMSV in 2024 and has been a faculty member at Kalāvani since the same year. Now, as Director of Volunteer Management at ICMSV, she plays a key role in organizing and engaging volunteers, fostering a dedicated community that supports the organization’s initiatives. Her expertise in event coordination, combined with her deep passion for music, ensures the seamless execution of ICMSV’s programs.

The Director of Volunteer Management is responsible for recruiting, training, and managing volunteers to support ICMSV’s programs and initiatives, ensuring a positive volunteer experience and effective volunteer utilization.

Aneri Nanavaty | Director of Internal Affairs

​Aneri joined the ICMSV board at the end of 2023, as a Director-at-Large. As a young first-generation immigrant, Aneri grew up with multicultural artistic and musical influences, including Indian classical music. She has been acting on stage since the age of 6, training and performing in many theatre styles, including improv, black box, and musical. Along with theatre, she trained briefly in both Indian classical vocal (khayal) and jazz vocal styles. Professionally, Aneri has a background in health policy, working across several health systems in various capacities, including corporate strategy, clinical education and policymaking. She has now resumed her Indian classical vocal training under Akhil’s tutelage.

The Director of Internal Affairs ensures the smooth operation of ICMSV’s internal systems and workflows, fostering a positive organizational culture by supporting the board and streamlining internal communications. 

​Shoumi Roy | Director of Events

Shoumi is a vocalist trained under Guru-Shishya parampara for over 20 years. Raised in Dubai, she grew up with global cultural influences and was introduced to Indian classical music at an early age. A former scholar of ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), Kolkata, she trained in the vocal forms khayal and thumri under Padma Vibhushan Dr. Girija Devi, and Shri Omkar Dadarkar, continuing to receive taalim from Shri Dadarkar to date. Shoumi has performed extensively across India, U.A.E., Australia, US and Canada. Apart from classical music, she is skilled in various other genres, including ghazals, Nazrul Geeti and Rabindra Sangeet. She has received awards and accolades from Padma Bhushan Jagjit Singh and Begum Abida Parveen, and participated in music reality shows like Zee TV SaReGaMaPa. With a multifaceted career spanning over 15 years, Shoumi has experience in international taxation, sales and marketing, digital communications and CRM administration. She is currently associated with Uniting Voices Chicago, an internationally renowned network for youth-focused music training and artistic collaborations. In 2024, she founded “SoundLoom”, an initiative to curate and promote works of quality artistes across Indian genres of music. In her spare time, Shoumi enjoys traveling, playing arcade games, cooking up a feast and engaging in hearty conversations

The Director of Events leads the planning and execution of ICMSV’s events, including concerts, lecture demonstrations, workshops, and socials, ensuring seamless logistics and a memorable experience for participants.

​Navin Sahjpaul | Director of Marketing

Navin initially discovered ICMSV in 2023, stepped into the position as Co-Chair on the Marketing Committee for 2024, and in 2025 he accepted the position as Director or Marketing. Navin is deeply passionate about supporting ICMSV’s mission which is providing an accessible platform to experience the traditional and classical Indian arts. He is a second generation immigrant, born in Canada with an Indian heritage and cultural background. Both of his parents were born in India and immigrated to Canada at a young age with their families. He now resides and works in Vancouver, BC and his life journey thus far has led him to pursuing a career path in being of service in this world. Navin is a multidisciplinary practitioner and works as a Music Therapist (BMT), Certified Yoga Teacher, Artist (Musician, Writer), Mental Health advocate, and is currently completing a Master of Counselling, studying to become an RCC (registered clinical counsellor)

As a musician, Navin is a multi-instrumentalist (Piano, Guitar, Flute, Voice) who records, composes, and performs original music under his name using the computer software programs of Logic Pro X and Ableton Live. His first official album release available on all streaming services, Medicine Music, consists of 26 original compositions that are designed to be used in conjunction with other healing modalities (Yoga, Breathwork, Mindfulness Meditation, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy) and serves as an album within which one can seek solace in, a place of calm away from the busyness and chaos of life, an auditory haven to be conducive for inner rest, stillness, and growth

Navin is dedicated to his role with ICMSV and is committed to helping the organization continue to grow, expand, and develop. He is passionate about using marketing, social media, and content creation as a way to express the heart and soul of ICMSV’s work so that it can reach wider audiences and inspire others. Connect with Navin here: ​https://linktr.ee/navinsahjpaul

The Director of Marketing leads the development and execution of ICMSV’s marketing strategy to promote its mission, events, and programs, ensuring consistent branding and a strong online and offline presence.

​Ishwarya Anand | Director of Fundraising

Born and raised in India, Ishwarya Anand began her journey in
Bharatanatyam at a young age. A devoted disciple of Padmavibhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, she continues to refine her artistry under Ramya Venkataraman. She has performed on prestigious platforms across India, Canada, and beyond. Passionate about preserving India’s artistic heritage, she founded True Path Arts Academy, a space dedicated to nurturing Bharatanatyam and other traditional art forms

Her vision fosters both performance and cultural Exchange. Her love for the arts (and a good challenge) led her to ICMSV, where she serves as Director of Fundraising—because what’s life without a little organized chaos? When she’s not busy making arts funding look effortless, she’s balancing HR, her academy, and a wonderful family that keeps her on her toes. Just don’t ask how she finds the time!

The Director of Fundraising is responsible for developing and implementing ICMSV’s fundraising strategy, focusing on securing grants, sponsorships, and cultivating long-term donor relationships to support the organization’s financial sustainability.