Jean-Luc Fillon studied classical music and oboe at national academies of Aubervilliers and Versailles and then at l'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris. During this period he was the laureate of the San Sebastian chamber music international competition and studied improvisation and composition at the Centre d’informations musicales (Jazz and Contemporary music in Paris).

From 1987 to 1991, he was oboe soloist in the European Symphonic Orchestra. After 1991, he conducted the Jazzogène Orchestra with which he recorded several CDs and played as a soloist with Antoine Hervé, Lauren Newton, Claudio Pontiggia and Franck Tortillier. It was his first main jazz experience. He went on tour in many festivals and parisian jazz clubs with this orchestra. In 1996, he created the Coyoakan trio (trio world jazz) and the Alborada sextuor (world music). In 1998 during a tour, Bob Mintzer was charmed by Fillon's oboe tone and encouraged Jean-Luc Fillon to develop a systematic work on the oboe and English horn improvisation. In fact, before 1998 Jean-Luc Fillon used these instruments mainly in classical and contemporary music. In 2000, Bob Mintzer composed for him a piece called French Suite. During this period, he also met Nguyên Lê, Pierre Blanchard, Lauren Newton, Claudio Pontiggia, Yves Torchinsky, Pierre-Marie Bonafos.

Since 2001, Jean-Luc Fillon’s began writing numerous compositions in order to introduce the oboe and English horn’s originality in improvisation (selected at the European audition of the Paolo Damiani National Jazz Orchestra, recording of several radio broadcast on France Musiques, creation of Ad Lib Production). In September 2001 he was nominated Jazz teacher at the national academy of Cergy-Pontoise. In early 2002, he recorded his own oboe and English horn composition with Denis Leloup, Pierre Blanchard and Joël Grare. He also recorded with Pierre-Stéphane Michel in the pSM trio, with Joël Grare on drums. From September 2002, Jean-Luc Fillon played in Paris with João Paulo and Denis Leloup. In 2003, the releasing of Oboa on CD was a success. He was invited by Glenn Ferris to join the "Newance quartet" with Jeff Boudreaux and Michel Bénita.

In 2004, he created the "De L'air quartet" with Carole Hémard, Yves Torchinsky et Xavier Dessandre, and recorded "Flea Market". He went on tour in Portugal with João Paulo. In 2005, after a tour in Germany, Jean-Luc Fillon went to USA. He played with two jazz bassoonists: Paul Hanson and Michael Rabinowitz. In October, he was invited by Xavier Prévost to play on Radio France. In early 2006, he created Privé de Désert in the frame of the Les Mureaux jazz festival "Ca Va Jazzer". He recorded a new album (Echoes Of Ellington) on Ellington tunes in order to pay tribute to this great musician and give a new perspective on his works.

In 2007, he went on tour in USA with Michael Rabinowitz and the Devil Reeds with a concert in New York. At the same period, he began a residence during two years and a half at L’Onde, the cultural place in Vélizy, France. He created the Oborigins project with Michel Godard, João Paulo and Jarrod Cagwin. Finally he went on tour in Germany and recorded at the Deutschland Radio in Cologne with the Oboa trio. In 2008, he created the On The Reed...Again ! quintet with Michael Rabinowitz. In November, he came out the Oborigins album, elected album of the week on FIP (Radio-Jazz). He also created Hautbois Nomade with the National French Orchestra in closure of the Vélizy’s residence.

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2009 : in March, release of the album “On the Reed…Again!” with a concert at the New-Morning in Paris.
JLuc Fillon was invited by Claude Barthélémy to participate in a new project “Lieder”. Antoine Hervé invited him to participate in the radio programme “Cabaret Music” live on France Music radio station.
In the same year, he set up the Sons neufs festival in Paris, devoted to instruments that are least likely to be used in improvisation and jazz. Moreover, he set up a duet with the accordionist, Didier Ithursarry and explored the blend of the oboe’s tones with those of the accordion.

2010 : Martial Solal asked him to accompany the finalists of the Martial Solal International Competition for jazz piano. The Adiam 94 commissioned two original works for “The Blue Note Orchestra” of Bry-sur-Marne, directed by Heri Paredes.

In 2011, Jean-Luc Fillon gave jazz improvisation master classes at the CNSMD in Lyon… He also created several new projects with François Méchali and Barry Altschul (the trio “Echoes of Freedom”) with the Basse-Normandie Ensemble (project “Oboa Nomade”) and began a series of concerts, including the highly esteemed “An eyeful of Jazz” at the theatre in Poissy, which was broadcast live during the Jazz Club on France Music. He was also invited to the programme “The Morning of Musicians” on France Music.

In 2012, he invited the American violinist, Mark Feldman, to join his trio “Echoes of Freedom” and the concert that they gave at the St Germain auditorium was recorded by Ivan Amar for the “Jazz Club” on France Music.
This year was also marked by the excellent reception from the media of his new album “Oboréades” on which he worked with the accordionist Didier Ithursarry. This recording was made following a number of concerts in France and Germany (Paris Jazz Festival, Festival Bouteille en Bretelles, Jazz-SyndikatSaarbrücken…).

In 2013, Jean-Luc Fillon continued his creations with the release of the album “Choros do Brasil”, accompanied by the Brazilian virtuosos Eduardo Miranda and Tuniko Goulart. The album was chosen by FIP (French radio station) as the album of the week.
He was also invited to Portugal by several universities and musical academies to give master classes in improvisation to student oboists.
In the same year, the international competition of Oboe and Bassoon of Muri (Zurich) gave Jean-Luc the possibility to give an evening of music, where he chose to give a concert with two duets: the first with the pianist Joao Paulo, the second with the accordionist Didier Ithursarry.
On his return to France, he was invited by Xavier Prévost of France Music radio station to give a representation of “Echoes of Freedom” which he presented as a trio with the drummer Barry Altschum and the double bass player François Méchali during the programme “Jazz sur le Vif”.

 

2014

Creation of the "Echoes of Freedom" project with François Méchali (cb) and Barry Altschul (drms), then, he recorded “Echoes of Freedom” as a quartet with Mark Feldman, François Méchali and François Merville and the group gave a series of concerts.
He spent some time in New York, giving masterclasses and concerts. He performed in particular with the pianists Don Friedman and the spirited Vadim Neselovskyi. In October, he released his new work “Oboman plays Cole Porter”, his first album to be distributed in the USA. A great concert was given at the New Morning (Paris) on this occasion with Christian Escoudé as guest star.
The end of 2014 was also marked by the creation, within the Sons 9 festival, of the duo “Late ‘Trane”with Paul Hanson, and a promising encounter with the guitarist Enver Izlmaylov.
Finally, it was also the beginning of the filming by Pirouette Production of the documentary “Obomania”, on the life and works of Jean-Luc Oboman Fillon…

2015

Oboman & Aquarela, New album: Outros Choros do Brasil, published by Buda Musique.
Oboman Plays Cole Porter concert at the Dieppe National Theater.
Creation of Oboscope with Nicolas Fargeix (clar.), Claude Tchamitchian (cb) and François Merville (drms).
Accompany David Linx (voice) and Eric Lelann (trp) on double bass
2 days of Masterclass at the HEM of Geneva.
On the Air => Guest of the Passion Classique program by Olivier Bellamy on Radio Classique.
Creation of the summer academy => Obomania academy from 2015 to 2020 with, for each new season, new guests: Ithursarry (acc.), Othello (didg), XDNavarre (percus.) William Dongois (cornet à Bouquin ), Clément Petit (cello)

2016

New album: Echoes of freedom, with Mark Feldman (violin), François Méchali (Cb) and François Merville (drms).
Release and preview in Varan workshops of the documentary Obomania, directed by Jean-Yves Legrand from Pirouette Film.
Birth of the Obothello project with Oboman (oboe, English horn and Bass Clar) and Othello (Didgeridoo)
Creation of Light Motif - Obothello + Othello - as part of the Festival Sons 9 at the auditorium St-Germain, Paris
Play with Magic Malik, Ronny Lynn Patterson, Claude Tchamitchian, Antoine Banville, Clément Petit, Johann Renard, Deborah Tanguy...
Duo Oboman-Ithursarry tour in Germany

2017

Birth of the African Dream project with Oboman (oboe, English horn and Bass Clar), Lulendo (voice & Quissange) and Xavier Desandre Navarre (percussion and voice) with a first concert as part of the Festival Sons 9 at the auditorium St-Germain, Paris
Continuation and End of the Sons 9 Festival last edition in 2017 => Sons 9 was 9 years old! Sadness and Depit !!!
Guest of the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival accompanied by the Guillermo Romero Trio + Masterclasses as part of the national oboe meetings.
Creation of Gaspard de la Nuit with Jean-François Zygel, Carole Hémard and Joël Grare as part of the Festival Sons 9 at the auditorium St-Germain, Paris
Creation of Speak Like a Child - Tribute to Herbie Hancock in collaboration with the teaching team of the Jazz department of CRR de Cergy-Pontoise: Sylvain Gontard, Guillaume Perez, Laurent Colombani,
William Carosella, Yves Torchinsky and Andrea Michelutti. Concert in Cergy and Vauréal as part of the Festival Jazz au fil de l'oise.

2018

New Album: Paris by Song, Oboman and Ithursarry released at cd'Z + 3 EP Film produced by Eddy Woj + disc release concert at Studio de l'Ermitage in Paris.
Concert of the African Dream trio at Sunset, Paris
Collaboration with Linda Lee Hopkins => American Market for the Blues sur Seine Festival
Guest of the International Double Reed Conference (IDRS) in Granada, Spain => Concert of the Aquarela Trio and Masterclass.
Concert of the Aquarela trio at the Patrimonio Guitar Festival
Artist in residence at CRD Valence and La Cordonnerie de Romans-sur-Isère.

2019

Aquarela at the Eole Factory Festival in Mantes-la-Jolie
Tour in the Vexin National Park in trio with Clément Prioul (organ) and Rémi Prioul (Drms).
Accompany Sara Lazarus on the double bass
Associated artist at the Center Jean Vilar in Champigny-sur-Marne

2020

Participation in the Oboe festival in Paris at Triton with African Dream
New album: A Bela Vida  Oboman-Aquarela by Buda music
Reunion with Franck Avitabile around a Duo project with a creation planned and postponed to the CNSM of Lyon.
Light Motif => new creation at Points Communs, National scene of Cergy-Pontoise