Carl was an Austrian pianist, teacher, and composer known for his pedagogical works for the piano.

He studied piano, first with his father, Wenzel Czerny, and later with Ludwig van Beethoven and knew and was influenced by Muzio Clementi and Johann Nepomuk Hummel. He began teaching in Vienna at the age of 15; among his pupils were Franz Liszt and Beethoven's nephew, as well as other celebrated pianists. Czerny was indefatigable; his compositions number more than 1,000 and include examples of nearly every form, including arrangements for eight pianos, four hands each, of two overtures of Gioacchino Rossini.

Czerny's lasting influence, however, was in his piano studies, which were greatly esteemed by teachers for generations to come. These include the School of Velocity, the School of Virtuosity, and the School of the Left Hand. These exacting sets of graded exercises were still widely used in the 20th century. Czerny also left a valuable essay on performing the piano sonatas of Beethoven.