Clara Haskil made her debut at the age of nine in her naïve Bucharest. After a short time in Vienna, she moved to Paris and completed her studies with Alfred Cortot. She also studied briefly with Ferruccio Busoni.

Haskil was a beloved collaborator in chamber music and counted among her early stage partners, Eugen Ysaÿe, Pablo Casals and Georges Enescu. Haskil was plagued throughout her career by illness and her small physical stature limited her repertoire. In what she played however, she was supreme. A Mozart player beyond compare and an interpreter of Beethoven's chamber music were just two of her hallmarks.

For her time, she was a prolific recording artist and much of her output can be found on Philips Classics including two volumes in the Great Pianists series and her landmark recordings of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Arthur Grumiaux. Clara Haskil died suddenly in 1960 in Brussels.