A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his poetic insight into Romantic piano works, particularly those of Chopin, Franck, Saint-Saëns and Schumann.

[1] A central figure of the French musical culture in his time, he was well known for his piano trio with violinist Jacques Thibaud and cellist Pablo Casals.

[4] He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Émile Decombes (a student of Frédéric Chopin), and with Louis Diémer, taking a premier prix in 1896.

He continued to teach at the Paris Conservatoire until 1923, where his pupils included Yvonne Lefébure, Vlado Perlemuter, Simone Plé-Caussade, Magdeleine Brard, Marguerite Monnot, and Rodica Sutzu.

[10] Cortot had to leave this position after Pétain's appointment and exerted his energy instead into writing reports about cultural propaganda and defending French musical styles.

He became part of the comité d'organisation professionelle de la musique (The committee for the professional organisation of music) in 1942 and worked with Laval and Pétain.

[7] Daisy Fancourt writes: After the war's conclusion, Cortot was found guilty by a French government panel of collaboration with the enemy and was suspended from performing for a year.

[11] He said in his defence, "I've given 50 years of my life to helping the French cause [...] when I was asked to become involved with the interests of my comrades, I felt I couldn't refuse.

[15] He also wrote a good deal of didactic prose, including a piano primer: Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique.