He earned a degree in mathematics from the Sorbonne, but turned to music soon after. He attended the Paris Conservatory, where he won first prize in music history, and studied conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum.
He founded the Ensemble Jean-Marie Leclair in 1952, with a dozen string players and a harpsichord. It was renamed the Jean-François Paillard Chamber Orchestra the following year. As Baroque music became popular, so did the orchestra. They made a large number of recordings on the Erato label.