benedict was born in stuttgart, the son of a jewish banker, and learnt composition from johann nepomuk hummel at weimar and carl maria von weber at dresden; it was weber who introduced him in vienna to beethoven on 5 october 1823. in the same year he was appointed kapellmeister of the kärnthnerthor theatre at vienna, and two years later in 1825, he became kapellmeister of the san carlo theatre at naples. it was here he gave piano lessons to the young prodigy theodor döhler.