The news of Oscar-winning composer James Horner’s death has led to a series of tributes by those who knew his music and those who worked with him.

The 61-year-old was piloting a single-engine plane, one of several he owned, which crashed in California yesterday morning. No one else was with him.

He was best known for his Oscar-winning score for Titanic but also received nominations for films including Aliens, Field of Dreams, Braveheart and Avatar. He still has two remaining film scores to be released, for Jake Gyllenhaal boxing drama Southpaw and Chilean miner thriller The 33.

Celine Dion, who sang Horner’s Titanic hit My Heart Will Go On, released a statement expressing her grief.

Rene and I are deeply saddened by the tragic death of James Horner. He will always remain a great composer in our hearts. James played an important part in my career. We will miss him. We offer his family and friends our deepest sympathy.

Fellow composers have also offered their condolences, including Alexandre Desplat, who won an Oscar for his score for The Grand Budapest Hotel: “It is a tragedy for all composers to hear about James Horner’s accident. We have lost one of our most talented and respected colleagues. His music will remain always.”

Stars have also been remembering Horner on Twitter, from directors Ron Howard and Richard Kelly to actors Russell Crowe and Rob Lowe.