Mark Smythe, a Los Angeles-based composer and educator, died May 9 after collapsing while hiking on Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles. He was 53.
In a statement, members of the composing community described his death as a profound shock, especially for his students, collaborators, and friends. Smythe was born in New Zealand, later lived in Australia, and moved to Los Angeles in 2013.
His screen music work included the film The Reef: Stalked, which earned 2023 nominations from major composer and soundtrack organizations. He also received recognition for his scores for Unfallen, Flying South, The Things She Did, and Daddy’s Little Girl.
A music rights organization also remembered Smythe as a former colleague who brought warmth and energy to his work before moving fully into film and concert composing.
Beyond composing, Smythe held leadership roles in the film and television music community and taught media composition at California State University, Northridge. He also served as Department Head of Composing for Visual Media at the Los Angeles College of Music.
His sister, Kate Ward-Smythe, survives him.