Born in 1971 in Libourne, Jean-Luc Defontaine is a french composer whose musical world lies at the intersection of the Impressionist heritage and the language shaped by influences ranging from Henri Dutilleux to Steve Reich.
Trained at the Bordeaux Conservatory, he went on to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where in 1998, he earned the Diplôme de Formation Supérieure d'écriture, including first prizes in harmony, counterpoint, fugue and analysis under the tutelage of Roger Boutry, Bernard de Crépy, Thierry Escaich and Alain Louvier. He then perfected his orchestration skills with Jean-François Zygel.
His taste for the musical, pictorial, and poetic art of the French Impressionists is evident in his earliest works, which feature refined sound colors. His interest in dance is a second source of inspiration, resulting in numerous pages with more assertive rhythms. These two axes run through his entire body of work, shaping music with multiple contrasts.
Jean-Luc Defontaine is a guest composer at the Toulouse les Orgues and Vox Musica festivals. He has also collaborated with members of the Orchestre de Chambre Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the organist Stéphane Bois, the conductor Emmanuel Trenque, the Chœur de l'Opéra de Tours, the Trio George Sand, the Trio Atanassov, the Quatuor Danel and the pianist Gaspard Thomas.
At the same time to his work as a composer, he teaches harmony and composition at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Poitiers.
