Mr. Frank Amato is an active music educator & performer with over 30 years of experience. Frank is currently the Director of Bands at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, NJ but has been a high school band teacher since 2006. Frank attributes his love of concert band music and the desire to be a music educator to his former high school band director, Prof. Darryl J. Bott. However, his love of the saxophone began with his Grandfather Joe introducing him to the instrument & big band music at age 10. Inspired by the music of Count Basie & Charlie Parker, he studied jazz after high school & currently performs with the Garden State Jazz Orchestra. In 2000, Frank turned his attention to classical saxophone, & music education, studying with mentors Dr. Paul Cohen & Dr. William Berz at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. In 2004 he received his Bachelor of Music Performance.

Frank has been the principal saxophonist of the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band since 2016 and has enjoyed filling in to conduct whenever asked. He most recently co-directed our April 2023 concert, and made his conducting debut with the ensemble in 2022, dedicating “Books with Blank Pages” by Samuel Hazo, to members of the band who lost loved ones during 2020-2021. Frank Amato resides in Roxbury, NJ with his amazing daughter Sofia.