He studied at the organ school, where he met and befriended Antonín Dvořák one year before graduating with honors in 1858.

In 1864, Bendl went to Brussels, where for a short time he held the post of second conductor of the opera.

[1] In Paris, he became influenced by the stage works of Charles Gounod and Ambroise Thomas and especially by Giacomo Meyerbeer.

By 1865, he was back in Prague where he was appointed conductor of the choral society known as Hlahol [cs], and he held the post until 1879, when Russian Baron Dervies [ru] (originally from Hamburg), includes Baron Pavel (Grigor'evič) fon Derwies (von der Wiese, Dervies, Dervíz) [fr] engaged his services for his private band.

His ballad Švanda dudák acquired much popularity; he published a mass in D minor for male voices and another mass for a mixed choir; two songs to "Ave Maria"; a violin sonata and a string quartet Op.119 in F Major; and a quantity of songs and choruses, many of which have come to be regarded as national possessions of Bohemia.