Silvio Hein

Silvio Hein (March 15, 1879 – December 19, 1928) was an American composer, songwriter, conductor, and theatrical producer. He was a songwriter for Tin Pan Alley and composed the scores to fourteen Broadway musicals. Early life and education Born in New York City, Silvio Hein was the son of immigrant parents. His father was from Hungary and his mother from Italy. Sources vary over his music education background, with some claiming he studied music in Trieste and Vienna, or that he had piano instruction from his mother but no other formal training. Hein himself did not describe his training in either of these manners. In a 1927 interview in The Musical Observer, he named several teachers he studied under in Boston, New York, and Italy. These included a Professor Cosmo in Trieste, brass player and conductor John M. Flockton and New York music critic and piano teacher James Huneker. It was created as a starring vehicle for Marie Cahill, and the production later toured nationally under the new title Molly Moonshine after the Broadway run ended in January 1906. With the lyricist Matt Woodward he wrote the song “I Want to be a Drummer Boy” which was used as the Act I finale in Florenz Zie