Born in Saint-Quentin on September 16, 1959, Jean-Philippe Viret began studying music at 18, learning double bass with Jean-Paul Macé and Jacques Cazauran, as well as harmony and counterpoint with Julien Falk.
In 1981, he co-founded the Orchestre de Contrebasses, performing with the ensemble for over 30 years. Viret has collaborated with prominent musicians of his generation, such as Emmanuel Bex, Simon Goubert, and Marc Ducret, as well as jazz legends like René Urtreger, Georges Arvanitas, and Michel Graillier. He has also worked with international artists including Lee Konitz, Bill Carrothers, Dave Liebman, Kenny Wheeler, and Youn Sun Nah.
From 1989 to 1997, he was a member of Stéphane Grappelli’s trio. In 1998, Viret founded the Trio Viret with Edouard Ferlet (piano) and Antoine Banville, later joined by Fabrice Moreau on drums. The trio has performed extensively in France and internationally, including concerts in New York, Montreal, Japan, China, and Korea. The group was nominated at the Victoires de la Musique in 2003 and won Best Group in 2011 and 2020, following the release of their acclaimed eighth album, Ivresse.
Viret also leads other innovative ensembles, such as the trio “60% de Matière Grave” (featuring Jean-Charles Richard on baritone saxophone and François Thuillier on tuba) and the string quartet “Supplément d’Âme” (with Sébastien Surel, David Gaillard, and Eric-Maria Couturier). With the latter, he recorded Supplément d’Âme (2012) and Les Idées Heureuses (2017).
He remains active in numerous projects, including the African Jazz Roots Quartet, duos with Atsushi Sakai (viola da gamba) and Rémi Gaudillat, and collaborations with groups like Mathias Lévy Trio, Emmanuel Borghi Trio, Triumviret (with Adèle Viret and Oscar Viret), Les Primitifs du Futur, and Mathias Lévy’s Personna.