Jean Sulem studied at the Paris Conservatoire in Serge Collot's class. In 1981, Pierre Boulez chose him as a soloist of the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Deeply involved in contemporary creation, he has performed major works of the contemporary solo viola repertoire (Zimmermann, Maderna, Berio, Donatoni, Nunes, Grisey, Holliger, Ton That Tiet, Lévinas, Ligeti…) at the world's leading festivals, and has prompted numerous premieres.

For many years, Jean Sulem has been a musical partner of pianist and conductor Sir András Schiff.

Alongside his solo career, Jean Sulem has built a major career as a chamber musician. Since its founding in 1981, he has been the violist of the Quatuor Rosamonde, with which he pursues an intense international career.

In 1989 he succeeded Serge Collot, becoming, at the age of thirty, Professor of Viola at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He regularly gives master classes in Europe and the United States, and is also frequently invited as a member of the jury for international competitions.