Henry Souvaine(1895-1954)

Henry Souvaine was a composer and radio producer. As a child prodigy, he took his first professional bow as violinist with a symphony orchestra in San Francisco. He later switched to the piano. In the early 1920s he lectured about music in public schools. As composer he collaborated with EY Harburg, Morrie Ryskind, J. P. McEvoy ("Comic Supplement" for Ziegfeld). His song "Would 'Ja For a Big Red Apple?" (written with Johnny Mercer and Everett Miller) was featured in the 1932 Broadway revue "Americana." He began his career in radio as producer of "Cadillac Concerts" and of the prestigious General Motors Symphony Broadcasts. From 1940 until his death he was in charge of Metropolitan Opera broadcasts and its intermission features, "Opera News On the Air" and "Opera Quiz." According to Variety, he sponsored the broadcasting debuts of Menuhin, Toscanini, Marian Anderson, Heifetz, Artur Rubinstein and others.