Franck Tortiller was born in Burgundy in 1963, in a family making wine and music. He started his musical studies in classical percussion in Dijon Conservatory and then in the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris where he graduated at 21 with two first prices in classical percussions and musical analysis. The same year, he is made a state music teacher succeding in the Certificat d’Aptitude. 

Then he quickly starts a career in jazz music and wins in 1989 the Solist award and Orchestra award in the famous Concours National de la Défense in Paris. He played in a lot of personal projects in jazz and is also kept busy playing with international musicians such as Mike Mainieri, Dave Samuels, Steve Swallow…). In the meantime, he is asked to play for French singers albums (SAnseverino, Juliette Gréco, Juliette, Arthur H…).
In the 90’s, Mathias Rüegg ask him to join the Vienna Art Orchestra in which he will be playing solo for 10 years and will collaborate with Shriley Horn, Betty Carter, Helen Merril, Billy Cobham, etc.
In 2005, Franck Tortiller is musical director of the French National Jazz Orchestra. He is composing, directing and playing in this orchestra with which he is given the Django d’Or of the best music show. His projects are acclaimed by both public and critics and his National Jazz Orchestra will perform more than 200 times.
In 2008, when leaving the NJO, Franck Tortiller is given the chance by the French Ministry of Culture to have a convention for his orchestra, as a reward of his musical fullfilment. He is playing in several projects (trio Ivresses, quartet Purple and High, duet with François Corneloup, solo) and keeps being part of others’ projects in France and abroad (Christian Muthspiel, etc.). He is often invited to perform in pretigious venues such as Théâtre du Châtelet, salle Pleyel, Philharmonie de Paris. For 10 years, he is also invited to perform soloist with orchestras : Basel Sinfonietta, Orchestre symphonique de Ulm, Orchestre Pas de Loup, Orchestre Provence Alpes Côtes d’Azur (à Cannes), Orchestre des Pays de Savoie (Annecy), Orchestre de Chambre d’Auvergne and in chamber music with Quatuor Debussy.
Franck Tortiller is masterclassing and performing abroad, recently in Boulder University (Colorado, USA) or in Perth University (Australia). He is dedicated a lot to composing and has written for French national radio, festival Jazz sous les Pommiers (Coutances), several National Théâters (Le Creusot, …), the World Saxophone Congress, the Jazz Festival in Nevers, the Musiciens du Louvre (dir. Marc Minkowski), the International Trumpet Contest in Alençon or the Festival Présences of Radio France.
Moreover, Franck Tortiller has been a composer in residency in Paris, Sceaux, Aix en Provence, Alençon, Coutances, Lucerne…). He is the founder and is in charge of Couches Jazz Festival (in Burgundy). He is for several years now as a musician an ambassador of Yamaha. He is also in charge of the Professional Cycle of Orsay Conservatory and has set up a professional integrating big band for young musicians : the OJJB.

Discographie :

1995 : Les jours de fête, Hommage à Jacques Tati, CC Productions
1997 : Vitis Vinifera, Label Hopi
2000 : Franck Tortiller, Altrisuoni
2002 : Early Down, Franck Tortiller Trio, Altrisuoni
2006 : Trio Impertinance (avec Michel Godard (tuba) et Patrice Héral (d))), CamJazz
2009 : Sentimental 3/4, A CAM Production (récompensé d’un 4 étoiles par le magazine Jazzman)
2010 : Ivresses (avec Michel Godard et Patrice Héral), Enja
2012 : Janis the pearl, Label MCO (récompensé d’un CHOC par le magazine Jazzman)
2014 : La leçon des jours, Label MCO (récompensé d’un 4 étoiles par le magazine Jazzman)
2015 : Trio Franck Tortiller - Orchestre Pasdeloup « Gershwin in paris », Label MCO

Avec le Vienna Art Orchestra:
1994 : The Original Charts of Duke Ellington & Charles Mingus, Verve Records
1997 : Vienna Art Orchestra 20th Anniversary (triple album), Verve-Amadeo
1998 : American Rhapsody, A Tribute to George Gershwin, BMG Entertainment
2000 : Artistry in Rhythm, TCB

Avec l'Orchestre national de jazz :
2006 : Close To Heaven - A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, Le Chant du Monde (récompensé d’un 4 étoiles
par le magazine Jazzman)
2007 : Électrique, Le Chant du Monde
2009 : Sentimental 3/4 (ex-membres de l'ONJ 2007), CamJazz

Autres collaborations:
Avec Christian Muthspiel:
2005 : Cousins germains, CamJazz
2006 : Against The Wind, Universal Records
2008 : Archangelica, CamJazz

2009 : Dancing Dowland, Universal Records
2010 : May, Material Records
2013 : Seven tears, Act record