Ernesto De Curtis (4 October 1875 – 31 December 1937) was an Italian composer born in Naples, the son of Giuseppe De Curtis and Elisabetta Minnon and a great-grandson of composer Saverio Mercadante. He studied piano and received a diploma from the Conservatory of San Pietro a Maiella in Naples, and worked closely with his brother, the poet Giambattista De Curtis, with whom he wrote the celebrated song “Torna a Surriento” in 1902. Over his career he composed more than a hundred songs in the Neapolitan tradition, including “Voce ’e notte” (1904), “Non ti scordar di me” (1912, to lyrics by Libero Bovio), and “Tu ca nun chiagne” (1915), and he died in his native Naples in 1937.

De Curtis is remembered as one of the leading composers of the Neapolitan song tradition, whose melodies — most famously “Torna a Surriento” and “Non ti scordar di me” — became core repertoire for operatic tenors and popular singers alike, carrying the Neapolitan style far beyond Naples. “Non ti scordar di me” in particular has remained a staple of tenor recital and gala programs, performed and recorded by generations of major singers, including its prominent inclusion in The Three Tenors in Concert 1994.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_De_Curtis