Exquis by Marie Ottavi – Éric-Maria Couturier

Éric-Maria Couturier has a distinctive profile and always has a cello within reach. A member of the Ensemble intercontemporain since 2002 and a professor at the Conservatoires nationaux supérieurs de musique et de danse in Paris and Lyon, the cellist has managed to impose his unconventional style in a field that is very attached to uniforms and long associated with the 3Cs for suit-tie-shirt. He is remembered for his musical talent, long hair and salt-and-pepper beard, silver rings, overalls—his sartorial totem—denim, which he almost considers a friend, and tattoos that reflect the history of samurais and yakuzas.

Born in 1972 in Vietnam, Éric-Maria Couturier grew up in Nantes before training in Paris. He has played under the direction of renowned conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Jonathan Nott, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He has made a name for himself as a soloist and as a member of the Talweg trio, his favorite formation of violin, cello, and piano.

Together, we will discuss his precise and referenced fashion tastes, his musical training, and how he has developed his wardrobe both on stage and behind the scenes.
Éric-Maria Couturier was invited to join Exquis, a series of meetings hosted by Marie Ottavi, which focuses on clothing and what it says about us and our habits, by dancer and choreographer François Chaignaud, who was himself invited by historian and performer Olivier Saillard, who was introduced to the circle by artist Hélène Delprat, who was invited by author and art critic Catherine Millet, who came at the invitation of director Albert Serra.

“Exquisite” is a series of encounters around fashion and clothing, based on the theory of six degrees of separation and the exquisite corpse. The rules of the Exquis game are simple and fun: the first guest sheds light on the topic from their perspective. It links clothing to cinema, contemporary art, literature, music, gastronomy, and architecture. At the end of the conversation, they introduce the second person, who will in turn enrich the topic with their own vision. And so on.

Thus, a multi-faceted conversation unfolds, evolving with each encounter. It surprises and builds connections, complements or diverges, ultimately illuminating the theme through six carefully chosen perspectives. A blend of different worldviews emerges in this exploration, guided by Marie Ottavi.