Lakshmi Ramgopal, known as Lykanthea, nestles comfortably in the electronic-ambient genre. But much more recently her projects have incorporated greater influences from her South Indian-Tamil culture.

I expected more extravagance in Stavaganze!, the season-opening program of Ars Lyrica Houston. I had braced myself for the endless show-offy vocal feats that make canary fanciers (that is, mad fans of ...