Mark Evan Garrabrant, known professionally as Mark Trayle, was born on January 17, 1955, in San Jose, California. He was an American composer and sound artist working across various media including live electronic music, improvisation, installations, and compositions for chamber ensembles. Trayle studied composition at the University of Oregon with Homer Keller and later at Mills College under Robert Ashley, David Behrman, and David Rosenboom. Trayle's career saw significant milestones including his move to Southern California in 1996 to teach at CalArts, where he remained until his death. His work was featured on various labels including Artifact, Atavistic Records, CRI, Creative Sources, Inial, Los Angeles River, Elektra/Nonesuch, and Tzadik. He received grants from Arts International, the American Composers Forum, The Japan Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Trayle passed away on February 18, 2015, in Ventura, California, due to pancreatic cancer.
