The beauty of the stars paired with the stirrings of classical music – it’s a stunning combination.

The Evening of Stargazing with the Monadnock Music String Quartet is designed to celebrate the pristine New Hampshire skies over the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge. Following an hour-long concert in the cathedral hall, listeners will file outdoors for an night of stargazing with the naked eye and through telescopes, guided by experts.

“We want to have a beautiful harmony between stargazing that the music,” said Laina Barakat, general manager of Monadnock Music. “People can listen to music inspired by the night, stars, celestial things and lullabies, and while they’re still on the high from hearing that, will go out to the field with chairs and blankets.”

The music was selected by Rafi Popper-Keizer of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who arranges all of Monadnock Music’s village concerts, but also serves as the cellist for its string quartet.

“What we love bringing to these smaller concerts is intimacy,” said Popper-Keizer. “You’re really close and hearing everything. It’s not a washed-out recording. You can hear every gritty detail.”

It’s not often that Popper-Keizer is building a concert around a particular theme, as was the case this time, he said. Usually, he picks music to complement a keystone piece. In this lineup, said Popper-Keizer, that keystone would probably have been Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” which is both the largest and most famous piece on the program. Usually, said Popper-Keizer, that would mean it would be at the end of the set as a finale. But in addition to being the most famous piece on the list, its also the most stirring, and in this case, said Popper-Keizer, he was more focused on the arc the music takes the listener on.

“I wanted to start from a place that was stirring and exciting and go fro that place of energy to something more emotional,” said Popper-Keizer. 

Instead of a grand finale, the set ends with George Gershwin’s “Lullaby” for string quartet, a serene piece perfect for transporting people into the mood for stargazing.

And in between, Popper-Keizer’s program also seeks to surprise listeners with a few compositions they may not be as familiar with – another tenant of Monadnock Music.

“For a musician, there’s nothing better than to find a piece that people say, ‘Why haven’t I heard this before?’” said Popper-Keizer. 

One such piece he selected for the Evening of Stargazing is “Night” for string quartet by composer Ernest Bloch.

“It’s very evocative, with subtle harmonies and provacative colors. It’s the type of piece that people are going to say, ‘Wow, how have I not heard this?’” said Popper-Keizer.

Rounding out the lineup is Haydn’s Adagio from String Quartet op. 76 #4 “Sunrise” and Borodin’s Nocturne from String Quartet #2.

Popper-Keizer will be joined by Charles Dimmick and Katherine Winterstein on violins and Alexander Vavilov on viola to round out the quartet.

Tickets are $25 per person or $45 for a pair in advance, and $30 per person or $55 for two at the door. Tickets can be purchased through the Monadnock Music website. The concert begins at 6 p.m. in the cathedral and stargazing will begin at 7 p.m.