According to the recent surge of high-profile press (The New Yorker, Smithsonian), the composer Nico Muhly can do no wrong. The "It" boy of contemporary classical music, Muhly bridges the gap between popular indie rock and the somewhat less accessible tones of experimental new music; think of his work as pretentious composer chic for the emotive and educated hipster set. The sprightly virtuoso, who turns 27 in August, has tweaked orchestrations on a couple of Björk albums—the two share the same record producer—and has worked with Philip Glass since his sophomore year enrolled jointly at Columbia University and Juilliard. For his current tour, booked mostly at cafés, churches, and museums, Muhly teams up with Thomas Bartlett and Sam Amidon of the indie band Doveman; listen for Amidon’s haunting twang on Muhly’s most recent album, Mothertongue.

Aug 28 at 10. $15. Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N Broadway. 773-472-3492.

 Photography: Matthew Luem