At the age of 17, Stéphane Guillaume entered the world of jazz, performing alongside Jean Bonal, Jacques Vidal and Ted Hawke, among others. At the same time, he won 1st prize in classical saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire. His time in François Jeanneau's jazz class gave him the opportunity to meet and play with musicians such as Randy Weston, George Russell and Dave Liebman. In September 1994, Laurent Cugny invited him to join the Orchestre National de Jazz, with whom he recorded three albums. This orchestra gave him the opportunity to meet Lucky Peterson, Tommy Smith, Maria Schneider and Enrico Rava…
In 1996, he produced the album Miage, his first attempt at recording under his own name, but it was obviously his sideman activities that predominated. Expert in the role of band musician - and as such, he is one of the most sought-after in Paris - Stéphane Guillaume's versatility makes him a partner of choice.
If his technique is breathtaking, the musician that he is very deeply, since his young age, does not lack soul. Like those musicians who haunted the West Coast, Stéphane Guillaume carries flutes, saxophones and clarinets across his shoulder. His repertoire is a marvel of invention and testifies to his qualities as a composer, with its weave of sonorities, timbre correspondences and breath associations.
In 2004, the release of the album Soul Role revived his leadership skills. After forming a quartet with Frédéric Favarel, Marc Buronfosse and Antoine Banville, another project under his own name saw the light of day with the release of the album Intra-Muros in 2006.
In 2008, following a residency at the Opéra de Lyon, he came up with a completely new idea: Stéphane's original quartet would be joined by a Brass Band of seven brass players, all exceptional soloists. The arrangements and orchestrations put together for the occasion were recorded in the studio in June 2008. These sessions are featured on the album Windmills Chronicles, released in October 2009. That same year, the Académie du Jazz awarded him the prestigious 'Django Reinhart' prize for Best French Musician of The Year, as well as the prize for Best French Record of the Year for Windmills Chronicles.
