A cello, a stack of effects pedals and a thousand-watt amplifier are not the usual tools of a history lesson — but that is exactly what Hudson Valley musician Alex Prizgintas is bringing to Bronxville this month.

Prizgintas will perform “America: Songs of Patriotism, Protest, and Praise” at the Bronxville Public Library on Friday, July 17, at 3 p.m. The free, hour-long concert is part of the library’s programming for the national America250 celebration.

Using distortion, delay and “wah-wah” guitar pedals, along with a looping station, Prizgintas transforms the cello into a full-band sound, blending classical, jazz, folk and rock influences.

Each song is paired with historical context, turning the performance into both a concert and a lesson on America’s musical past.

“Most often, cellists play concerts. I’m a little different in that I try to give a show,” Prizgintas told Marist College’s alumni magazine.

Prizgintas is also a public historian, serving as the government-appointed town historian for Woodbury and Tuxedo in Orange County. He is president of the Woodbury Historical Society and serves on the board of the Association of Public Historians of New York State.

A graduate of Marist College, where he earned a degree in public history, Prizgintas has built a catalog of 14 concert programs and performs more than 250 times a year across the Hudson Valley.

In 2019, he performed Jimi Hendrix’s version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival.

Event details

The July 17 performance will take place in the Yeager Community Room at the Bronxville Public Library, 201 Pondfield Road.

Pre-registration is encouraged at bronxvillelibrary.org or by calling (914) 337-7680.

The library will also host other America250 events this month, including “Huzzah: Stephen Ward and the American Revolution” on July 14.