She attended the Cours Hattemer, a private school. Despite an early passion for literature, she chose a life in music at a young age. She started playing piano at the age of five. In 1964, she enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire. She won the first prize for piano in 1965 and the first prize for chamber music in 1966. She continued her education with Paul Badura-Skoda and Jörg Demus, and went on to study in Vienna with Alfred Brendel. She won the first prize at the Munich competition in 1968, and in 1969, was a prize-winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Since then, she has enjoyed an international career.

She is not only famous as a solo concert pianist, but is also well known for her chamber music playing in cooperation with artists such as Catherine Collard, Pierre Amoyal, Frédéric Lodéon, and Imogen Cooper.