Julien Gauthier

Tragic news, with the death of French composer Julien Gauthier, who was attacked and killed by a bear whilst on a field recording expedition in the remote Northwest Territories of Canada. He was just 44.

Gauthier was a graduate of the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance. He was known for his interest in ambient recordings, often made in remote locations. In 2015, as his l’Atelier des Ailleurs artistic residency he spent five months in the Kerguelen Islands in the Antarctic (see video, below). This led the composition of his Symphonie australe for the Symphonic Orchestra of Bretagne and a sound diary Inaudita Symphonia  (more examples of his field recordings are available on his Soundcloud page). 

Interested in other musical cultures, Gauthier also worked with artists such as French-Syrian singer Climène Zarkan, jazz singer Roxane Roussel and Moroccan singer Oum. Gauthier had been composer in residence with the Orchestra of Bretagne since 2017 and had been preparing for a new symphonic project for the 2019–20 season.

Originally posted at Composition:Today ©Red Balloon Technology