Franz Bendel (* March 23, 1833 in Schönlinde, Bohemia; † July 3, 1874 in Berlin) was an Austrian piano virtuoso and composer. Franz Bendel was the son of an elementary teacher. After initial, artistic instruction from his father, he became a student of Josef Proksch. Through his teacher, who promoted him to a large extent, Bendel came later to Franz Liszt in Weimar, where he also met Wendelin Weißheimer.

In 1848 Bendel was hired by Count Otto of Westphal as Resident and Music Teacher. He held this office 14 years. During the celebration of the 1855 Cecilia Festival in Prague a mass by Bendel was performed through his teacher Proksch. In 1862 Bendel settled in Berlin and became a lecturer at the New Academy of Musical Arts. There he lived and worked until his death, only interspersed by several small concert tours, such as in 1863 to Prague that was mentioned in the press with praise.

As a performing, as well as creative artist Bendel pursued the direction of the serious and dignified, and his numerous art tours accompanied with great success (the last even led him occasionally to the Boston Music Festival in America) were able to do no harm to the ideality of his striving. Of his compositions, including four masses, symphonies and other major works, the palor style piano pieces and many songs particularly have received lots of attention.