The Hungarian pianist Klara Kormendi was born in Budapest and studied under Kornel Zempleni at the Bartók Conservatory, later becoming a student of Peter Solymos at the Liszt Academy, where she received her diploma with distinction in 1967. She enjoyed early success in a number of national competitions, before embarking on a career that has taken her to the major musical centres of Europe, with broadcasts in Vienna, Paris and London, as well as Basie, Cologne, Lausanne and Lubljana.

Klara Kormendi has a wide repertoire, and has always shown particular interest in contemporary repertoire, both Hungarian and foreign. Her recordings for Hungaroton include music by Pierre Boulez, Oliver Messiaen, Luciano Berio and Heinz Hollinger. For Naxos she has recorded works by Debussy and Ravel and the complete piano music of Eric Satie.