At the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Éric-Maria Couturier obtained the Master's degrees in cello and chamber music. Since then, he has regularly given masterclasses and coaching at the Lucerne Festival, the CNSM in Paris and Lyon.

At the beginning of his career, specialising in classical music, Eric-Maria Couturier had the chance to work with the Paris orchestra under the best baton: Giulini, Sawallisch, Solti and then the revolutionary Boulez pushed him into the energy of the Intercontemporary Ensemble. Through his dance associations in Bartabas... his meeting with Pierre Boulez gave him inspiration for mixed projects.

By chance brought to improvisation, he became passionate about it and accompanied the jazz singers: Helen Merril, David Linx, Laika Fatien, the DJs: ErikM, Jeff Mills, the Japanese percussionist Tsuchitori Toshi, the improvising pianist Henri Roger, Roberto Negro, the violinist Theo Ceccaldi, the double bass player Nicolas Crosse, and the dancers Richard Siegal and Hiroaki Umeda. He plays with the Béjart company and the ballets of the Paris Opera.

Eric-Maria Couturier has recorded a quartet disc with double bassist and composer Jean-Philippe Viret, Sebastien Surel and David Gaillard. In duo with pianist Laurent Wagschal, he has received the best prizes and special prizes from the international competitions in Trapani, Trieste and Florence. He is cellist of the Talweg trio with pianist Romain Descharmes and violinist Sébastien Surel.

The octet Les Violoncelles Français, of which he is a member, recorded the disc Meditations with the Mirare label. In 2008, with the director Massa Eguchi, they made a documentary film "Goendama" in Japan on the therapeutic power of the cello.