Born in Meaux, in 1801, Guillon had lessons at the school of the cathedral Notre Dame de Paris with Pierre Desvignes, before he joined the Conservatoire de Paris to study counterpoint with François-Joseph Fétis and musical composition with Henri Montan Berton.
In 1824, he won the first Second Grand Prix de Rome with the cantata Agnès Sorel.
There he composed the opera Maria di Brabante, which was performed in 1830 at the Teatro La Fenice with great success.
Later he gave up his musical career and turned to agriculture and silkworm breeding.
His innovations found the attention of Italian agricultural societies and the Société impériale et centrale d'agriculture.