William Shakespeare famously said, “If music be the food of love, play on.” The Nissitissit String Quartet offers their take on that intersection with For the Love of Music. 

With its signature range of styles – fiddle tunes, folk favorites, jazz standards, pop, rock, Broadway, and Hollywood, the quartet blends compositions about love with repertoire that the members  early love, numbers that got standing ovations, and pieces that simply touch the heart. From standards such as Gershwin’s Embraceable You and Cole Porter’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin to a Beatles  set featuring Something, When I’m 64, and All You Need is Love, the concert showcases many of the most passionate musical masterpieces. Also featured are Edith Piaf’s La vie en rose, Delibes’ endearing Flower Duet, the rock anthem Marry You, and a medley from West Side Story. Mixed in are a set of Irish folk songs and some fancy fiddle fare that the group especially enjoys, along with a few that are back by popular demand, such as Bohemian Rhapsody.

Formed to champion strings and enrich Northwest Middlesex communities, the Nissitissit String Quartet is four long-time colleagues and friends with a mutual desire for a fresh and fun performance experience. Musical treasures specially crafted from jazz standards, ragtime, Latin, classical, folk, fiddle, pop, rock, Broadway, and Hollywood make up multi-generational concerts that are upbeat and engaging for a wide audience.

The longtime Principal Viola of the Lexington Symphony, Lisa Kempskie is equally comfortable on violin and viola. She has a degree in violin from UMass Lowell and has done graduate work at  UConn, Storrs. Peter Stickel is the violinist for the New England Tenors. He is co-founder and long-time executive director of New England String Ensemble. Valerie Callahan has taught and performed on the violin and viola since childhood. She has a Master's in String Performance from the Boston Conservatory and heads the string program in Dracut. Co-founder of New England String Ensemble, John Bumstead is a Boston area freelance musician performing regularly with Symphony by the Sea and North Shore Music Theater. John was cello professor at UMass Lowell for many years.

Free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Light refreshements will be available.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Pepperell Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding provided by the Friends of the Lawrence Library.