John Clegg studied music with the distinguished teacher, the late Herbert Fryer, and after three years study at Jesus College, Cambridge, embarked upon a concert career, with a London recital in 1951. In recent years, he has combined this with an appointment as Pianist-in-residence at Lancaster University.

Well known as a broadcaster with the BBC, he has also played for radio and television in many countries, often including specialist works by British composers such as Alan Rawsthorne and Lennox Berkeley, as well as less frequently played figures like Fauré, Walter Piston, Max Reger and Medtner. In recognition of this he was awarded the Harriet Cohen International Award for Music.

He has toured regularly, giving concerts in many countries from Europe to Australasia, South America to South Africa. As well as solo recitals, he has also given many concerto performances with Symphony Orchestras such as the Bournemouth, City of Birmingham, BBC Welsh, BBC Scottish, BBC Philharmonic, Ulster, and the London Mozart Players, not to mention many others abroad. The list of conductors is equally distinguished, including Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Groves, Constantin Silvestri, Norman del Mar, Vilem Tausky and Janos Fürst. His performances also included chamber music with groups such as the Medici Quartet.

His specialist recordings include the first recording of the complete solo piano music of Alan Rawsthorne, and French Miniatures of Florent Schmitt, Milhaud, Koechlin & Ibert on Paradisum together with a new release of Piano music by Gabriel Fauré and Francis Poulenc, as well as, on earlier LPs - Scriabin Max Reger, Medtner and Weber on Disque Alpha.