‘Songs of Patriotism, Protest, and Praise’ at the library

The Chester Public Library will present “America: Songs of Patriotism, Protest and Praise” on Tuesday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Alex Prizgintas and his amplified cello, will be part of the program. Classically trained, he employs non-classical tools like distortion, delay, and the iconic “wah-wah” guitar pedals symbolic of 1960s Rock n’ Roll bands - all in conjunction with a looping station.

Equally comfortable with intimate and stadium settings, Prizgintas is able to craft his own wall-of-sound through his 1,000 watt amp. Accompanied by a narration that reveal some of the back stories of baroque, jazz, folk, and Rock n’ Roll classics, he immerses his audience in a journey through musical history.

Those familiar with his work on the cello might be surprised to learn that he graduated summa cum laude in both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marist College in addition to serving as president of the Woodbury Historical Society and town historian of Woodbury.

“I tend to have two audiences: those who know me as a cellist and those who know me through my lectures on topics of regional history,” Prizgintas said. “My bifurcated interests certainly keep me busy developing new stories to share about our Hudson River Valley as well as expanding my concert programs that strive to keep audiences engaged, enlightened and hopefully entertained.”

To register for the library event, log onto chesterpl.libcal.com.

To learn more and see video samples of Prizgintas’ music and lectures, log onto alexprizgintas.com.