Composer Mark Smythe Dies at 53 on Mount Wilson Trail From Cardiovascular Disease
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 11
Composer Mark Smythe Dies at 53 on Mount Wilson Trail From Cardiovascular Disease
8 articles · Updated · Variety · May 11
53-year-old Mark Smythe died Saturday after a medical emergency while hiking the Mount Wilson trail near Los Angeles, with the L.A. Coroner’s office listing cardiovascular disease as the cause.
Sierra Madre Search and Rescue said Smythe’s friends and other hikers assisted during the incident and offered condolences to his family and friends.
Smythe, a New Zealand-born composer based in Los Angeles, earned 2023 SCL and World Soundtrack Award nominations for Hulu’s “The Reef: Stalked” and also scored films including “The Possessed,” “Boar” and “Unfallen.”
Beyond composing, he served for years as COO of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, taught media composition at Cal State Northridge and Los Angeles College of Music, and will be honored at Saturday’s Night Temple performance.
After two deaths in a week, what makes this popular LA hiking trail so dangerous?
What is the 'Athlete's Paradox,' and could it explain this tragic death?
Can vigorous exercise, meant to be healthy, actually hide fatal heart risks?