Clemens-Maria Nuszbaumer was born in Linz, Upper Austria, and received his first violin lessons at the age of seven. Already during his school years, he devoted himself intensively to music on historical instruments and was a member of various Baroque ensembles in Upper Austria. 

After completing his secondary education (Matura), he studied law at the University of Salzburg as well as viola performance with Hermann Kienzl at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. In addition, he took lessons in Baroque violin with Reinhard Goebel and Ingrid Seifert. In 1986, Clemens-Maria Nuszbaumer founded the ensemble La Follia Salzburg, which focused in particular on string chamber music of the second half of the 17th century in southern Germany and Austria. 

In the course of his active concert career, he performed regularly in the 1990s with Les Arts Florissants under William Christie, the Cappella Coloniensis, and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. From 1999 to 2002, he served as concertmaster of the Austrian ensemble Armonico Tributo. Since 1993, he has performed primarily as principal viola player with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.