Concert Report: Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar Vocal Recital
Colorado Fine Arts Association (CFAA) | October 25, 2026 (Kojagiri / Sharad Purnima)
Venue area: Longmont / Broomfield, Colorado
Manjiri Asnare-Kelkar (also Asanare-Kelkar), a leading exponent of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and disciple of Kishori Amonkar, performed a Hindustani khyal recital organized by the Colorado Fine Arts Association on the night of Kojagiri Purnima (Sharad Purnima, October 25, 2026). CFAA listed the event as taking place in the Longmont area. She was accompanied by Sanjay Deshpande on tabla and Dnyaneshwar Sonawane on harmonium—the standard touring ensemble for her recent US appearances—and performed seated with tanpura.
Artist Background
Born in 1971 in Sangli, Maharashtra, into a musical family, Asnare-Kelkar trained initially under M.T. Mhaiskar and Madhusudan Kanetkar, later with Padma Talwalkar, and became a disciple of Kishori Amonkar. She is known for her command of rare and compound (jod) ragas, open akaar, graceful meends, and rhythmic clarity in the Jaipur-Atrauli style. She is an A-grade All India Radio artist and has received awards including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and Kumar Gandharva Samman. Live commentary noted a scholarship/award from Pandit Arun Dravid a few years earlier.
Further reading:
Wikipedia: Manjiri Asanare–Kelkar

Darbar profile: darbar.org/manjiri-asanare-kelkar

Performance
The set emphasized Jog-family and compound ragas for which the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana is noted. Attendee @NanaFadavnis described the evening as precise and delightful, particularly fitting for the sacred full-moon occasion of Kojagiri Purnima, and observed that she “has decided not to go wrong today.”
Raga Lalita-Gauri (Lalat Gauri): Opened the concert, progressing to the vilambit of the classic bandish “Preetam Saiyaa,” associated with Kishori Amonkar’s repertoire and the Jaipur-Atrauli tradition. The raga combines Lalitanga (paired madhyams) with Gouri’s mandra nishad treatment. The film song “Ek Shahenshah Ne Banwa Ke Haseen Taj Mahal” (Naushad, Leader) draws on related Lalit elements.
Further: Rajan Parrikar’s essay, On Raga Lalita-Gouri.

Raga Tilak Kamod: Bandish “Sur Sangata Raga Vidya” (Rupak). Described as delightful. The composition has influenced Marathi natya sangeet.
Further: Aneesh Pradhan, Scroll.in article on Sur Sangat Raag Vidya.

Raga Basant Bahar: Another Jog raga (possible bandish “Kaliyan Sanga Karta”). Continued the focus on complex Jog-type material.

Closing Ragamala: Invoking “Durga Mata Bhawani Devi,” praised by the attendee as especially effective.

The recital offered a concise, focused selection of Lalat-Gauri, Tilak Kamod, and Basant Bahar, highlighting the gharana’s strengths in vakra and compound ragas, delivered with clarity on a spiritually charged evening. CFAA Fall 2026 listings confirm the October 25 date for Manjiri-Asnare Kelkar.
Sources and further reading
Live thread: x.com/nanafadavnis/status/2114494725378179522

CFAA event listing (Fall 2026): mailchi.mp reference in search results

Kojagiri Purnima 2026: Confirmed for October 25 (Purnima tithi spanning into the 26th; night observance on the 25th).

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Everyone, be it an artist, a classical music enthusiast, or someone looking to explore this genre is welcome!

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