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{{Short description|American violinist and conductor (1866–1945)}}
[[File:Max_Bendix.png|thumb|Max Bendix, 1893]]
'''Max Bendix''' (March 28, 1866 – December 6, 1945) was an [[Americans|American]] concert violinist, conductor, and teacher.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |date=1945-12-07 |title=Max Bendix, Composer, Dies |pages=37 |work=The Cincinnati Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-max-bendix-composer/134598388/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite news |date=1945-12-07 |title=Max Bendix, 80, Composer and Maestro, Dies |pages=38 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-max-bendix-80-composer/134598436/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> He was the first [[concertmaster]] of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]] and was also the concertmaster of the [[Metropolitan Opera]] orchestra. Bendix wrote several works for [[orchestra]] and some [[incidental music]] as well as [[song]]s. In 1899, the ''[[Musical Courier]]'' called Bendix "the finest American violinist".<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 1899 |title=Violinists Abroad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPssAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Max+Bendix%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA231 |journal=The Strad |publication-place=London |volume=10 |issue=110 |page=231 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Bendix was born in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]] on March 28, 1866.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Saleski |first=Gdal|authorlink=Gdal Saleski |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G4I6AAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Max+Bendix%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA176 |title=Famous Musicians of a Wandering Race: Biographical Sketches of Outstanding Figures of Jewish Origin in the Musical World |date=1927 |publisher=Bloch Publishing Company |page=176 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> He was the son of German-born Jewish parents, Bertha (née Tobias) and William Bendix, a composer.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last1=Hamersly |first1=Lewis Randolph |last2=Leonard |first2=John W. |last3=Mohr |first3=William Frederick |last4=Knox |first4=Herman Warren |last5=Holmes |first5=Frank R. |last6=Downs |first6=Winfield Scott |year=1907 |title=Who's who in New York City and State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0V1IAAAAYAAJ&q=%22William+and+Bertha+(Tobias)+Bendlx%22 |page=113 |via=Google Books}}</ref> His mother was a cousin of the German composer [[Felix Mendelssohn]] and was an heir to his estate.<ref name=":5" /> In 1872, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Bendix, Max |url=https://composers-classical-music.com/b/BendixMax.htm |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=Composers Classical Music}}</ref>

Bendix first performed as a soloist violinist when he was eight years old.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lWhFAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Max+Bendix%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA60 |title=The American History and Encyclopedia of Music |date=1908 |publisher=Irving Square |page=60 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> He attended the [[Cincinnati Conservatory of Music]] in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], graduating with the gold medal when he was fourteen years old in 1880.<ref name=":5" /> He then studied violin with [[Simon E. Jacobsohn]] at the [[College of Music of Cincinnati]].<ref name=":6" /> He also received additional violin training in New York City and Berlin.<ref name=":6" />

== Career ==
Bendix played violin with the [[Theodore Thomas (conductor)|Theodore Thomas]] Orchestra at the Cincinnati May Musical Festival when he was twelve years old in 1879 and became one of the group's first violinists the next year.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" /> He became a [[concertmaster]] with the Maratzek in Cincinnati in 1880.<ref name=":9" /> Next, he was the concertmaster of the McCaull Opera Company and the Germania Symphony Orchestra between 1883 and 1884 in Philadelphia.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":4" /> He was the concertmaster of the German Opera in New York City under [[Anton Seidl]] during the 1885 to 1886 season <ref name=":9" /> Also in 1885, he was the concertmaster and soloist with the [[Frank Van der Stucken]] Orchestra in New York City.<ref name=":9" />

He became the concertmaster, soloist, and assistant conductor of the Theodore Thomas Orchestra in New York and Chicago from 1886 to 1896, taking some time off to travel and study.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":9" /> He returned to New York in 1887 and was the concertmaster for the Damrosch Orchestra.<ref name=":4" /> In 1888, Bendix became a professor of violin at the [[College of Music of Cincinnati|College of Muisc of Cincinnati]].<ref name=":9" /> He was the first [[concertmaster]] of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]] from 1891 until 1896.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-22 |title=On the Road with the Chicago Orchestra, part 1 |url=https://csoarchives.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/on-the-road-with-the-chicago-orchestra-part-1/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=from the archives: Musings from the Rosenthal Archives of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Villella |first=Frank |date=December 8, 2021 |title=125 Moments: 061 Dvořák's Violin Concerto {{!}} Chicago Symphony Orchestra |url=https://cso.org/experience/article/7961/125-moments-061-dvoraks-violin-concerto |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=Experience the Chicago Symphony Orchestra |language=en-us}}</ref>

On October 30, 1891, he was the soloist for the United States premiere of Dvořák's ''[[Violin Concerto (Dvořák)|Violin Concerto]]'' in a performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with [[Theodore Thomas (conductor)|Theodore Thomas]] conducting.<ref name=":0" /> A reviewer in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' wrote, "The solo part is, as has been said, one of great difficulty, that of the last movement being especially trying. Mr. Max Bendix met these difficulties and overcame them in most instances with ease. His phrasing is truly exceptional in its artistic beauty and purity. Rarely has a violinist been heard in Chicago who has equaled Mr. Bendix in this respect.”<ref name=":0" />

Bendix was the conductor of the Theodore Thomas World's Fair Orchestra at the [[World's Columbian Exposition]] in Chicago in 1893.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |date=May 15, 1915 |title=Bendix's Work at Three World's Fairs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lElGAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Max+Bendix%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA49 |journal=The Violin World |volume=23 |issue=4 |page=52 |via=Google Books}}</ref> After leaving the Chicago Symphony in 1897, he gave concert tours across the United States for two years.<ref name=":6" /> In 1889, he joined [[Victor Herbert|Victor Herbert's]] Metropolitan Trio Club in New York.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bendix, Max |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Bendix,_Max |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)}}</ref> He was president of the World's Fair Orchestral Association from 1897 to 1898.<ref name=":9" />

He formed the ''Bendix String Quartet'' in 1900 in New York City and a School of Music in New York City in 1901.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":9" /> He was the conductor of the World's Fair Symphany Orchestra at the [[St. Louis World's Fair]] in 1904.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> In 1905, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera, working as the concertmaster for the [[Wagnerian opera]]s.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":9" /> He became a conductor and concertmaster at the [[Manhattan Opera Company]] in 1906.<ref name=":6" />[[File:MaxBendix1904.tif|thumb|Max Bendix, from a 1904 tour brochure of the [[Charlotte Maconda|Maconda Concert Company]].|250x250px]]In 1907, Bendix toured in the United States, followed by a European concert tour in 1908.<ref name=":6" /> He returned to the Metropolitan Opera as a conductor in 1909 and 1910.<ref name=":6" /> Next, he produced and was also the conductor for [[operetta]]s in New York and London for [[Werba and Luescher]] from 1911 and 1912.<ref name=":4" />

Bendix was the musical director for several [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] shows, including ''The Spring Maid'' (1910), ''Miss Princess'' (1912), ''Her Little Highness'' (1913), ''The Amber Empress'' (1916), ''Pom-Pom'' (1916), and ''[[Castles in the Air (musical)|Castles in the Air]]'' (1926).<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Max Bendix |url=https://www.playbill.com/person/max-bendix-vault-0000005387 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Playbill}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Max Bendix – Broadway Cast & Staff |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/max-bendix-11368 |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=IBDB}}</ref> He was also the conductor for the Broadway shows ''[[Giroflé-Girofla|Girofle-Girofla]]'' (1926) and ''Sari'' (1930) and wrote [[incidental music]] for ''Experience'' (1914).<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> He wrote several works for orchestra, including "Thirty-six Songs", "The Sisters", "Tema con Variazioni" and a violin concerto in E minor.<ref name=":6" />

From 1914 to 1915, he was the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Chicago that served as the house band for [[Midway Gardens]], newly designed by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]].<ref name=":11">Tallack, Douglas. "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/44613163. Frank Lloyd Wright and Midway Gardens]". ''Urban History'', vol. 27, no. 2, 2000, pp. 312. {{jstor|44613163}}, Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.</ref> At Midway, he developed a schedule that included opera on Mondays, popular music on Tuesdays, symphony on Wednesdays, request of Thursdays, and Wagner on Fridays.<ref name=":11" /> Bendix was the conductor for [[Henry Wilson Savage]] from 1916 to 1917, the [[Fortune Gallo]] English Opera from 1918 to 1919, the Royal English Opera in 1920, and the [[St. Louis Municipal Opera]] in 1920.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> He was also the first conductor of the [[Illinois Symphony Orchestra]].<ref name=":8" />

He was a conductor of an orchestra of eighty musicians at the [[Panama–Pacific International Exposition]] in San Francisco in 1915 and the director of music for the [[Chicago World's Fair of 1933]].<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":4" />

==Personal life==
Benidx's wife was named Angelica. They had a daughter, Anya.<ref name=":8" /> Bendix is sometimes listed as the father of actor [[William Bendix]], but he was William's uncle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-10 |title=William Bendix – About This Person – Movies & TV |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/5281/William-Bendix |access-date=2023-11-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110223912/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/5281/William-Bendix |archive-date=2013-11-10 }}</ref> One of his brothers was the composer and musical director [[Theodore Bendix]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1935-01-16 |title=Theodore Bendix, Composer, 72 Dies |pages=20 |work=Times Union |publication-place=Brooklyn, New York |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-theodore-bendix-composer-7/134576398/ |access-date=2023-11-03 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

He was a member of numerous clubs in New York City, including The Bohemians, Deutscher Press, [[The Lambs]], the [[Liederkranz of the City of New York]], and the [[Lotos Club]].<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> He lived at The Lambs from 1914 to 1918.<ref name=":4" /> He was also a member of the Savage Club in Chicago, Illinois.<ref name=":5" />

Bendix moved to Chicago in 1933.<ref name=":4" /> In his later years, he lived in the Home for Aged Jews on Drexel Road.<ref name=":8" /> Bendix died of a stroke while at the [[Michael Reese Hospital]] in Chicago on December 6, 1945, at the age of eighty years.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" /> He was buried in the [[Oak Woods Cemetery]] in Chicago.

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last= Howard|first= John Tasker|title= Our American Music: Three Hundred Years of It|year= 1939|publisher= Thomas Y. Crowell Company|location= New York}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bendix, Max}}
[[Category:1866 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:American male composers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Detroit]]
[[Category:19th-century American composers]]
[[Category:19th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century American classical violinists]]
[[Category:American male classical violinists]]
[[Category:Concertmasters of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra]]
[[Category:Players of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra]]

Max Bendix - Revision history

imported>Altenmann at 22:03, 22 June 2025