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Mark Smythe, Los Angeles Composer and Educator, Dies at 53
Composer Mark Smythe, who scored The Reef: Stalked and taught in Los Angeles, died May 9 at age 53 after collapsing while hiking.
Mark Smythe, the New Zealand-born composer whose film and television work earned him nominations from both the Society of Composers and Lyricists and the World Soundtrack Awards in 2023, died May 9 after collapsing while hiking Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles. He was 53.
Beyond his credits, Smythe was deeply woven into the screen-music world as an executive and teacher. He served as chief operating officer of the Society of Composers and Lyricists from 2018 to 2021, following a period as the organization’s Los Angeles administrator.
“To say that his loss comes as a profound shock to our community, especially to his students, collaborators, and friends, is an understatement,” SCL president Ashley Irwin said.
Smythe’s path to Los Angeles ran through both New Zealand and Australia. Born in New Zealand, he later moved to Australia before relocating to Los Angeles in 2013. His scoring work brought him three Hollywood Music in Media Award nominations for Unfallen, Flying South and The Things She Did. Earlier, his score for Daddy’s Little Girl won him the Australian Screen Industry Network award for best composer in 2012.
Irwin also pointed to the personal side of Smythe that so many colleagues remembered immediately. “Beyond his professional accomplishments, people genuinely enjoyed Mark’s company, as evidenced by the current outpouring of love for him on social media,” he said. “He had a wry sense of humor and an infectious laugh that could light up a room. Exceptionally generous with his time and energy, he had a way of making everyone feel welcome, whether they were longtime SCL members or attending their initial event. For many, Mark was the first friend they made at the SCL. Those who knew Mark will never forget being greeted with his favorite line: ‘I’m all the better for seeing your smiling face.’”
APRA AMCOS also shared a tribute on its Instagram page, noting that Smythe “became an APRA member in 2004 and was also a beloved colleague to many in our Melbourne office, where he worked as client and legal liaison for four years in the early 2000s before heading to Los Angeles to pursue film and concert composing full-time.” The organization’s CEO, Dean Ormston, added, “Mark’s passing is a great loss to the screen composing world and to the musical communities he was such a meaningful part of. He is remembered very fondly by his former APRA AMCOS colleagues for the positive spirit he brought to work every day – both at the office and in his music.”
At the time of his death, Smythe was teaching media composition at California State University, Northridge, and serving as Department Head of Composing for Visual Media at the Los Angeles College of Music. “Many composers in our community had the privilege of learning from Mark, and remember him not only as a great teacher, but as someone who believed in them personally,” Irwin said.
He was also still writing choral music and had worked with the LA Choral Lab on multiple projects. Among his survivors is his sister, Kate Ward-Smythe.
