She was a pioneer in the movement of historically informed performance, founding with her husband Nikolaus Harnoncourt the Concentus Musicus Wien ensemble playing on period instruments, of which she was principal violinist.

[1] She first pursued a career as a soloist, but then became interested in Baroque violin, and studied it with Josef Mertin [de], together with her future husband Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Their ensemble strongly influenced and changed the performance and recording of early music by contemporary musicians, as it emphasized the use of period instruments, and knowledge about how to play them.

[1][8][3] She published several books after her husband's death, editing his writings: Alice Harnoncourt was awarded the Ehrenzeichen des Landes Steiermark [de] of Styria in 2003.

[12] She received several awards together with her husband, such as the Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um das Land Wien [de] in 2011.