Frank Proto (1941) is an American double bass player and composer. His main concern as a double bass student at the Manhattan School of Music was the lack of solo repertoire for the instrument. This encouraged him to write his first work for double bass, the Sonata for double bass and piano, which he performed at his graduation recital in 1963. Since then, the Sonata has become a modern standard for the instrument and the first of an extensive catalog of compositions that includes symphonic works, chamber ensembles, and works for different solo instruments. At eighty-one years old, Proto remains active and spends his time between composing and the occasional performance of the double bass.