Christian Altenburger studied at the University of Music in Vienna and with Dorothy DeLay at Juilliard. He debuted at 19 at the Vienna Musikverein, launching a career with top international orchestras including Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Zubin Mehta, Franz Welser- Möst and others. Alongside his solo career, chamber music became a significant focus, collaborating with esteemed musicians like Heinz Holliger, Nobuko Imai, and Lars Vogt.

From 2003 to 2019, Altenburger served as the Artistic Director of the Schwäbische Frühling Music Festival in southern Germany. In 2006, he also took on the role of Artistic Director for the Loisiarte Festival in Langenlois, Austria. He is known for his advocacy of contemporary music, premiering and recording works by composers such as Thomas Larcher and Witold Lutosławski.

Altenburger's discography spans various labels, including Classic Amadeo, CPO, and Sony. His academic career includes a long-standing professorship at the Hannover University of Music, followed by an appointment at the Vienna University of Music in 2001, where he continues to shape the next generation of musicians.