Johann Georg Benda

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Johann Georg Benda (Czech: Jan Jiří Benda) was a Czech violinist and composer who worked mainly in the Electorate of Saxony. He was born on 30 August 1714 in Benátky nad Jizerou. His family was musical: his father Jan Jiří Benda was a weaver, his mother Dorota Brixi came from a large Czech musical family. He had brothers Franz, Georg, and Joseph who also became famous violinists and composers, and a sister Anna Franziska Benda who sang opera.

In 1733 Johann Georg joined the Dresden Hofkapelle with his brother Franz. In 1734 he moved to Rheinsberg to play viola in crown prince Frederick's private Hofkapelle, and he trained as a violinist under Franz. When Frederick became king of Prussia in 1740, Benda went to Berlin to join the new court orchestra, first as viola (salary 150 Thaler) and later as a violinist (salary 300 Thaler). He died in Berlin on 4 December 1752.