Born in Eisleben in 1667 we first hear of Hebenstreit in Leipzig where he earned a living playing violin and teaching dancing and keyboard instruments.

He fled Leipzig due to the threat of arrest for debts and entered the service of a pastor in Merseburg as a tutor to his children.

It was here in 1697 that he invented and produced with the assistance of the pastor a dulcimer like instrument with double strings of metal and gut.

This instrument played its part in the early development of the fortepiano, as acknowledged by C.G Schröter, the instrument maker.

Indeed a courtier travelling through the village was so impressed with the possibilities of the instrument and Hebenstreits performance that he arranged for a demonstration at the Dresden court.

In 1698 he was appointed by Duke Johann Georg of Weissenfels as dancing master.

In 1705 Hebenstreit visited Paris and created a sensation: Louis XIV was so impressed he ordered the instrument to be called the "pantaleon".

Hebenstreit was the impetus to The Abbe de Chateauneuf's Dialogue sur la musique des anciens a Monsieur.

On 11th May 1714 he entered the service of Augustus the Strong as chamber musician and pantaleonist and received for a musician an unusually high salary of 1200 thalers.

Additionally he received 200 thalers for the upkeep of his instrument.

In 1727 he took out a royal writ against Gottfried Silbermann for building a large number of pantaleons not commissioned by the inventor.

By 1729 he was placed in charge of music for the Protestant court church: the musical provision for which was minimal, including cantor, vice cantor, organist and six choir boys.

In 1733 due to his failing eyesight he retired from pantaleon performance.

By 1734 he was made director of Protestant church music and in 1740 was a privy counsellor.

Both these positions should be regarded as a provision for an elderly, long serving musician.