Cortot studied piano at the Paris Conservatory. After gaining experience as an assistant conductor at Bayreuth, in 1902 he conducted the first French performance of Wagner's music drama Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods). He founded the Société des Concerts and the Paris Orchestre Philharmonique and introduced many works of contemporary French composers. In 1905, with violinist Jacques Thibaud and cellist Pablo Casals, he formed a trio, which earned international renown for its superb ensemble playing. In 1918 he founded the École Normale de Musique in Paris, where his piano classes had a wide influence. He published works on piano technique and a historical survey of French piano music and edited the works of Schumann and Chopin. He also assembled one of the finest private collections of musical autographs. About 1950 he retired to Lausanne.