Franz M. Benteler (1 June 1925 – 12 March 2010) was an American virtuoso violinist from
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. A favorite of Chicago Mayor
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...
, Benteler was known as the "Ambassador of Music for Chicago".
Early life
Benteler was born in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, to Franz Xavier Benteler (1881–1967) and Maria ''(née'' Maria Franziska Keimeyer; 1888–1976). He immigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
with his parents on September 5, 1930, at the age of 5. His family first lived in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. He attended
Lane Technical High School
Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public 4-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on ...
's music program. In 1943, Benteler began studying at the
Chicago Conservatory of Music
The Music Conservatory was founded in 1867 as the Chicago Musical College, a conservatory. In 1954,
the Chicago Musical College became part of Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schau ...
on a two-year scholarship. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from the conservatory."Franz Benteler Wins Award To Music School," ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'', May 23, 1943, part 3, pg. 3 NW
Career
For a year, beginning around 1946, Benteler had been first violinist for the
San Antonio Symphony Orchestra
The San Antonio Symphony was a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season ran from late September to early June. Sebastian Lang-Lessing, its music director from 2010 to 2020, was the last to serve in that cap ...
. Then, in 1948, Benteler toured with
Wayne King
Harold Wayne King (February 16, 1901 – July 16, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader with a long association with both NBC and CBS. He was referred to as "the Waltz King" because much of his most popular music involved ...
's Orchestra, covering 56 cities over 58 days. Benteler settled in Chicago as a professional musician. He played at the
Blackstone Hotel
The Blackstone Hotel is a historic 21-story hotel on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive in the Michigan Boulevard Historic District in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. Built between 1908 and 1910, it is on the Nation ...
and the Old Heidelberg Restaurant in Chicago's
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
.
With his group The Royal Strings Orchestra, Benteler was known for playing at the Consort Room, the 16th floor restaurant at the Continental Plaza Hotel (now known as the Westin Michigan Avenue) for 20 years, from 1963 to 1983.
Benteler and his band performed for international dignitaries and five US Presidents. They also performed summertime concerts at Oak Brook Central Park.Free Summer Concert Series , Oak Brook Park District
He retired in 2007.
Instruments
Benteler owned a 1701
Stradivarius
A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are c ...
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
. In 1997, he performed on a 1770 Maggini violin. Also, in the 1950s, he performed on a 1775 Balestrieri violin, valued in 1957 at $15,000
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
.
Personal life
Benteler was married three times. He had been married to his co-performer, Jan Norris (stage name) (''née'' Jeannette Olmstead; born 1931), a vocalist, from about 1958 to the mid-1970s. Benteler's second wife was “Dee” Benteler. His last wife was Maria (''née'' Arreola), whom he married in 1984.
Benteler had six children: Eric Mark (1986–2003), Franz Brett (born 1976), Adele Maria (born 1980), Stefan Joseph (born 1981), Christopher Franz, and Kristine Diane (born 1978).
Franz Benteler died of a stroke in Arlington Heights, Illinois.