František Benda

František Benda (baptized Nov. 22, 1709, Staré Benátky, Bohemia [now in Czech Republic]—died March 7, 1786, Potsdam [Germany]) was an outstanding violinist of 18th-century Germany whose playing was celebrated for its cantabile (singing) quality and sophisticated embellishments.

The eldest son of Jan Jiří Benda and his wife Dorota Brixi, both talented musicians, Benda studied under Johann Gottlieb Graun and joined the orchestra of Frederick II the Great (then crown prince). On Frederick’s accession (1740) to the Prussian throne, Benda settled in Berlin, where the rest of his family joined him in 1742. He became concertmaster of the royal orchestra in 1771. His compositions include 17 violin concerti, 17 symphonies, and numerous violin solos, trio sonatas, and violin sonatas. His son Friedrich William Heinrich Benda (1745–1814) also became well known as a violinist and composer.