Born in Lyon in 1959, Sylvain Lombard studied oboe in his native city, where he was unanimously awarded a Gold Medal. He continued his studies at the Geneva Conservatory and obtained a First Prize for virtuosity.

He joined the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in 1985 as solo English horn. He was also a member of the Ensemble Contrechamps for several years. Sylvain Lombard is a lecturer in English horn at the Geneva Conservatory for the Haute École de musique.