Tues. Dec. 5

One problem with classical musicians playing new music is an old one: Most classical audiences want to hear the old music. Beethoven, Brahms, DeBussy, you know the guys. What the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, founded by Gil Rose, does is obvious in its name. They've produced more than 50 concerts in ten years of contemporary orchestral music; they've recorded 50 works; they've presented seven fully staged opera productions. They call themselves Boston's only "underground orchestra" and you might think of them as our own Kronos Quartet - not in sound, exactly, but in those ineffable "cool" and "hip" factor ways. On Tuesday Dec. 5, the BMOP initiates a series of new music at Club Cafe's Moonshine Room at 7 p.m. What they'll play is the evolution of composer-in-residence Lisa Bielawa's "Synopses" project - music composed in residence for solo artists and new improv pieces by Boston-based composers. The players include pianist Sarah Bob, violinist Gabriela Diaz and percussionist Aaron Trant. Admission is $15 and the Cafe's full menu and bar are available throughout. Space is limited; you might want to reserve. (Two more of these kind of things are scheduled early next year.)

209 Columbus Ave., 617-363-0396 bmop.org