Harry G. Pellegrin
Harry George Pellegrin was born February 4, 1957 in Bronxville, New York, United States. He grew up and lived in the 47th precinct in the Bronx until 1986.
Classical guitarist, composer, author, photographer, and graphic artist. The only child of Harry Pellegrin (1902–1981) and Veronica M. Pellegrin (1918–2004), Harry G. Pellegrin attended Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, graduating in 1974. Pellegrin studied piano as a small child but became interested in the guitar in 1970 and by 1973 was performing. He performed sporadically with a proto-punk band The Void during the late 1970s, but this was not the direction he wished his career to take. Pellegrin attended Bronx Community College from 1974 to 1976. He majored in classical guitar at The Mannes College of Music in Manhattan, studying with Albert Valdés-Blain and Eliot Fisk. After graduating in 1980, Pellegrin formed Air Raid with Martin Seddon (1956–2006), British-born graphic artist. It was Seddon that introduced Pellegrin to both photography and the graphic arts.
A severe traffic accident in 1989 resulting in fractured thoracic and lumbar vertebrae with some permanent damage to the spine and the associated neurological deficits curtailed his musical career for almost seven years and channeled his energies towards his other interests, writing and photography. Pellegrin wrote for Soundboard, The Journal of the Guitar Foundation of America and Ironhorse Magazine before publishing his first novel Low End, in 2003. The first of a series, Low End (ISBN 1589820746) was followed by Deep End (ISBN 1435721985) in 2006. Classic Guitar Method, A Comprehensive Method designed to transform the student from novice to recitalist (ISBN 978-0-557-26825-2) combined Pellegrin’s writing skills with his musical expertise. Pellegrin performed his come-back recital at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, New York on February 13, 2007, his first classical performance since the 1989 accident.
In May 2008 PAB Entertainment Group released The Guitar (700261240428) a CD of solo classical guitar music performed by Mr. Pellegrin which includes a number of compositions by the performer. In 2010 PAB released his second album of solo classical guitar Old and New (885767622234) which includes favorites of his from a number of stylistic periods. Pellegrin also composed and recorded a series of four brief waltzes for this CD, two of which are dedicated to his parents and celebrate their lives and chronicle his sense of loss at their deaths.
Now residing in Northern New York State with his wife (Elaine Denise), Pellegrin has two daughters, Veronica Catherine and Amanda Christine. Pellegrin teaches, performs and writes music as well as pedagogical works. Since January 2008 he has been a member of the adjunct faculty of Union College in Schenectady, New York. Installed as a member of the Board of Directors of the CGSUNY for calendar year 2012 and remains on the board for calendar year 2016. Pellegrin is also an artist member of the Monday Musical Club of Albany.