French musician Julien Gauthier was killed by a grizzly bear in the Northwest Territories last week, his employer has confirmed.
The 44-year-old was on an expedition in northern Canada to collect nature sounds for his music.
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Though police have not officially released his name, a body was found by the RCMP near Tulita along the Mackenzie River on Aug. 15, the Canadian Press reports.
The Brittany Symphony Orchestra in France said the body belonged to Gauthier in a statement posted on Facebook Monday. Gauthier was an associate artist at the symphonic orchestra.
Orchestra manager Marc Feldman said Gauthier was collecting sounds in the remote region and was travelling with biologist Camille Toscani.
Toscani told French newspaper La Parisien that the bear entered their camp at night and dragged him away.
Feldman says Gauthier liked to use music to express his love and respect for nature.
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“His work was faithful to his inquisitive mind, humble in front of the vast power and beauty of nature,” Feldman wrote in the post.
“I am extremely happy to have known Julien. He brought me a sense of adventure, wonder and a rare intelligence. I am going to miss him terribly. We still had so much road to travel together.”
Gauthier was born in Canada to two French parents. He moved to France at the age of 19 and spent his adult life there.
In the musician’s final post on his Facebook page, he shared photos of his and Toscani’s campsite and the surrounding nature.
Gauthier’s web page says he also taught music at the Gennevilliers Conservatory and worked with the Paris Philharmonic.
—With files from Canadian Press
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