François Ripoche began playing the saxophone in the municipal band of his commune at the age of eight. He then discovered rock, drums and then jazz. He followed classical studies at the Conservatoire de Nantes, then jazz workshops with Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz...
While developing his experience as an improvising musician with, among others, Sarah Lazarus, Roger Guérin, Georges Arvanitas, John Betsch, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Simon Goubert, Louis Sclavis, Eric Le Lann, Steve Potts), he is interested in multidisciplinary forms: film-concerts, music and theatre, music and video... He has worked in these contexts with director Melvin Van Peebles, sound designer Tu Duu-chi, video director Pierrick Sorin, saxophonist Steve Potts, Katerine, actresses Irène Jacob and Héléna Noguerra...
François Ripoche has led several formations: Out of the blue, Misters of the West. He is currently leader of the group Francis et ses peintres with whom he has recorded two albums - the third one was released in early 2014, to which is added the 52 covers in space project with Katerine (a project that has toured extensively in France and elsewhere).
Very active on the Nantes jazz scene, he has set up - and still creates - numerous projects around different repertoires, including tributes to John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson, Ornette Coleman. He is a member of the Orphi Cube and Gros Cube groups, directed by Alban Darche (with, among others, Sylvain Rifflet, Matthieu Donnarier, Sébastien Boisseau, Didier Ittursary).
