Born in Saint-Brieuc, Merlet studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris, where his teacher was Tony Aubin.
In 1979, he was in charge of teaching music writing at the International Japanese Summer Academy, and from 1985, he taught writing, orchestration, analysis and composition in China at the Shanghai Conservatory and the Beijing Conservatory.
In 1995, invited to Greece, he taught composition and orchestration at the Athens Conservatoire.
In 2001, the "European American Musical Alliance" commissioned him to conduct masterclasses for students at several universities in the United States, including the Juilliard School.
Notice of presentation of the recording of the vinyl disc referenced above, éditions Cybelia