Matteo L. Giammario, a Trenton music educator who founded the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and helped shape generations of young musicians, died March 9, 2026, just weeks before his 101st birthday. He was 100.
Born in Trenton to Italian immigrant parents, Giammario grew up in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood, where he developed an early interest in Neapolitan music. Although he initially wanted to play guitar, he took up the violin at his mother’s urging, beginning a lifelong career in classical music and music education.
Giammario served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After training in Newport, Rhode Island, he was assigned to the heavy cruiser USS *Chester* in the Pacific Theater. He remained active in supporting fellow veterans throughout his life.
After the war, he attended New York University on the GI Bill, earning his undergraduate degree. He later received a master’s degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from the University of Arizona, and also studied at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.
Giammario spent most of his career in the Trenton Public Schools, first as a music teacher and later as director of music education, helping to build and expand arts programs across the district.
His regional impact extended beyond the classroom. As conductor of the Mercer County Symphonic Orchestra—an ensemble of student and professional musicians—he helped guide its evolution into the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, with a renewed focus on training and developing young performers.
Even after retiring, Giammario continued composing and arranging music, often drawing on themes of Italian heritage and his experiences as a veteran.
In recognition of his contributions, the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra named its soloist competition the Maestro Matteo Giammario Concerto Competition.
GPYO founder and conductor Matteo Giammario.,
