Jan Panenka began his concert career in 1944, as a pupil of František Maxián at the Prague Conservatory.
He attracted attention in 1959, on a concert tour to Australia and Japan with the Czech Philharmonic.
He worked as a conductor, but later returned to the piano and made recordings with the Smetana Quartet.
As a soloist with the Czech Philharmonic he made also a number of gramophone recordings, including the complete piano concertos of Ludwig van Beethoven (1964–71).
He was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque for the recording of violin sonatas by Leoš Janáček and Claude Debussy, with Josef Suk.