Following autodidactic studies in piano and organ performance, Guillou became organist at the church St. Serge in Angers at age 12. From 1945-1955, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Marcel Dupré, Maurice
Duruflé, and Olivier Messiaen. In 1955, he accepted a position as professor of organ and composition at the Institute of Sacred Music in Lisbon. For health reasons, he left Lisbon in 1958 and moved to Berlin, where he lived for the following five years. In 1963, Guillou was appointed as titular organist at l'Église Saint-Eustache in Paris.
He has a worldwide reputation as a brilliant concert organist and improviser. Additionally, he often performs as pianist; for example, he gave the English and French premieres of Julius Reubke's long-forgotten piano sonata in B-flat minor.
Guillou's engagement in organ building led to collaborations with several organ builders and the construction or renovation of instruments in l'Alpe d'Huez, the Chant d'Oiseau church in Brussels, the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Conservatory in Naples, St. Eustache (as mentioned above), and, most recently, the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz (Canary Islands).
As a composer, he has written numerous works for organ, as well as chamber music, orchestral music, and transcriptions for organ. In addition, Guillou has issued numerous organ recordings, including the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach and César Franck, numerous improvisations (e.g., Visions cosmiques (1969), or Jeux d'orgue (1970)),as well as most of his own organ compositions, on a series of 7 CDs for the Philips label.
From 1970-2005, Guillou taught organ performance and improvisation at the annual Züricher Meisterkurse. Since 2007, these masterclasses are held at St. Eustache in Paris, France.
Organe Van der Heuvel.
With 8000 pipes, the organ is reputed to be the largest pipe organ in France, surpassing the organs of Saint Sulpice and Notre Dame de Paris. The organ was originally constructed by Ducroquet and later modified under the direction of Joseph Bonnet. The present instrument was designed under the direction of Titular Organist Jean Guillou and dates from 1989 and was built by the Dutch firm of Van den Heuvel retaining a few ranks of pipes from the former organ.
I Positif C--c4
Quintaton 16′
Montre 8′
Salicional 8′
Unda-Maris 8′
Bourdon 8′
Prestant 4′
Flûte à Fuseau 4′
Nasard 22/3′
Doublette 2′
Tierce 13/5′
Larigot 11/3′
Septième 11/7′
Fourniture V 2′
Cymbale II 1/3′
Douçaine 16′
Trompette 8′
Cromorne 8′
Clairon 4′
Trémolo

II Grand-Orgue C--c4
Montre 32′
Montre 16′
Principal 8′
Flûte à Cheminée 8′
Violoncelle 8′
Grosse Flûte I--II 8′
Prestant 4′
Flûte 4′
Doublette 2′
Grande Fourniture IV--VIII 22/3′
Plein-Jeu IV--V 1′
Sesquialtera II 22/3′
Grand Cornet III--V
Bombarde 16′
Trompette 8′
Clairon 4′
III Récit Expressif C--c4
Flûte à Cheminée 16′
Principal 8′
Cor de Nuit 8′
Flûte Traversière 8′
Viole de Gambe 8′
Voix Céleste 8′
Octave 4′
Flûte Octaviante 4′
Octavin 2′
Carillon III 22/3′+13/5′+1′
Plein-Jeu VI 22/3′
Contrebasson 32′
Bombarde 16′
Trompette Harmonique 8′
Basson-Hautbois 8′
Voix Humaine 8′
Clairon Harmonique 4′
Trémolo

IV Grand-Chœur C--c4
Violonbasse 16′
Bourdon 16′
Diapason 8′
Flûte Majeure 8′
Violon 8′
Grande Quinte 51/3′
Principal 4′
Flûte Conique 4′
Grande Tierce 31/5′
Quinte 22/3′
Grande Septième 22/7′
Fifre 2′
Grande Neuvième 17/9′
Plein-Jeu Harmonique II--VIII 2′
Clarinette 16′
Cor de Basset 8′
Tuba Magna 16′
Tuba Mirabilis 8′
Cor Harmonique 4′
V Solo C--c4
Flûte Harmonique 8′
Flûte Octaviante 4′
Nasard Harmonique 22/3′
Octavin 2′
Tierce Harmonique 13/5′
Piccolo Harmonique 1′
Harmoniques III 11/3′ +1/7′+8/9′
Ranquette 16′
Chalumeau 8′
Trompeteria II
Trompette en Chamade I--III 8′
Trémolo

Pédale C--g1
Principale basse 32′
Flûte 16′
Contrebasse 16′
Soubasse 16′
Grande Quinte 102/3′
Flûte 8′
Violoncelle 8′
Grande Tierce 62/5′
Quinte 51/3′
Flûte 4′
Flûte 2′
Théorbe II 44/7′+35/9′
Mixture V 4′
Contre-Bombarde 32′
Contre-Trombone 32′
Bombarde 16′
Basson 16′
Trompette 8′
Baryton 8′
Clairon 4′

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