Sandra Bendor has performed for audiences around the world and in 49 of the United States giving concerts of jazz, theatre music, and American and international folk music (with Appalachian dulcimer and guitar). With pianist Liz Magnes, she has performed duo jazz concerts throughout Europe, Israel and the US.
Upon graduating Montclair State University in NJ with a degree in Music Education, Sandra was invited to join the Princeton University based National Humanities Series which was presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities. She performed several tours throughout the US for the Series which sent professors of the humanities together with performing artists to towns of fewer than 2500 people. In the show "How and Why People Create" Sandra performed in prisons, libraries, schools, churches, community centers and theatres throughout the US. Some of the venues were so remote that she had to carry her guitar and Appalachian dulcimer for miles on dried river beds in order to get to the performance space. In a performance in North Dakota at a Sioux ceremony, Sandra sang with many of the local performers and was made an honorary member of the Sioux Nation. In the show "The Frontier in Song and Story" Sandra performed together with Dean William A. Owens of Columbia University (originally from Paris, Texas). She sang songs that Dean Owens had collected and recorded on tin pie plates (which were played by using cactus needles) throughout the Southern US in the 1930's (now in the Library of Congress) as part of a WPA project. During these performances Sandra became the first woman in the Ohio Maximum Security Prison where she gleefully told the wildly enthusiastic prisoners that she was delighted to perform in front of a captive audience.
Upon returning to New York, Sandra was chosen as actor/singer/musician from over 600 candidates for a treasured place as one of seven singer/actor/dancer/musician performers in the Main Repertory of the famous La Mama Experimental Theatre Company. In addition to a New York season, the company performed in European festivals every year and throughout California. In Europe, Sandra performed with La Mama in the Berlin Festvochen, the Copenhagen Det Dansk Theatre, the Spoleto Festival and the Vienna International Festival. She performed the title role in "Carmilla" by J.S. LeFanu and Ben Johnston (which she recorded for Vanguard Records), in Yeats' "The Only Jealousy of Emer" (which won an OBIE) and Stravinsky's "Renard the Fox".
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In 1973, Sandra was sent to the Tel Aviv branch of La Mama Israel for one month to musical direct Lorca's "Chimera" directed by Rina Yerushalmi. Although she didn't speak a word of Hebrew, she immediately began performing concerts and teaching voice to actors in Tel Aviv University as a guest artist. The month eventually turned into 15 years. During this time Sandra performed in many hit shows ("Padam, Padam", "The Good Woman of Setzuan", "Three Penny Opera", "On the Way West", "Instead of Love"), gave solo concerts in over 200 kibbutzim, played leading roles with the Habimah National Theatre, performed frequently on television and radio, made many recordings and hosted her own midnight radio program. She gave concerts for several visiting dignitaries including President Gerald Ford and performed with visiting artists including composer Marvin Hamlisch (who almost fell off the piano stool while he was accompanying Sandra when he realized that she was singing the songs from "A Chorus Line" in Hebrew). One of her most exciting performances was an evening in honor of Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek in the Plaza Hotel in New York with Leonard Bernstein. In 1985, Sandra was voted Israeli Singer of the Year and is the only American-born singer to hold this honor.
As a writer/translator, Sandra translated the songs and vocal directed the BBC series "Journey Through Israel" with Topol in England. In 1995 she was awarded the coveted US National Theatre Translation Award for her play translations (presented in the Public Theater, NY). She has collaborated with her husband, actor/writer Ofer Bendor on many plays for young audiences including "The Dreydl Will Rock" and "Cruel Jewel". Sandra is an alumna of the Lehman Engel BMI Musical Theatre Workshop where she was lucky enough to study lyric writing with the legendary teacher/composer Walter Edgar Kennan.
While living in Israel, Sandra was frequently sent to perform solo concerts of American folk music for the US State Department in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran (prior to 1979, of course), India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. A few of the many amazing experiences she had during her travels include performing outdoor concerts for audiences of 8,000-10,000 people all over India, performing a concert in the city of Khooramshar on the Gulf of Persia in 120F degree heat, and dinner with director John Huston at the ambassador's residence in Ankara, Turkey while he was filming "The Man Who Would be King".
In 1987, Sandra returned to the United States with her husband and three children, Adi, Liron and Roy. The Bendors began creating and performing theatre for schools and founded the Children's Theatre Center of NJ, today one of most successful touring theatres for young audiences in North America. CTC presents over 600 shows per year of "Arithmetickles", a funny math show based on audience participation.
In the same year, Sandra met and began working with composer/pianist Ronn Yedidia. The two performed the concert "Songs in Blue and White" for over 10 years in many venues throughout the US including a gala concert in Palm Springs, CA together with author Elie Weisel. Today, the two still work together in collaboration with Ofer Bendor, composing, writing, translating and performing new songs.
Two of these songs, "Ballad of a Hooker and a Thief" and "Friendship, Friday Night" were recently presented in NY at the concert "20th Century Music and On" in Merkin Hall in a world premiere. The three are currently working on a new album of their songs. Show less
