USCUSC

Screen Scoring

Aaron Gao

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Aaron began his journey studying piano at the age of six and composed his first piece three years later. Towards the end of elementary school, he was introduced to DAW and has been producing music ever since. With a strong background across multiple disciplines and music genres, he joined the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, later solidifying his position as Peabody's Premiere Scholar. In 2025, he joins the acclaimed Masters in Screen Scoring Program at University of Southern California, studying under established composers/orchestrators including Pete Anthony and Peter Golub, as well as being closely mentored by Lolita Ritmanis and Michael McCuistion.

Aaron now operates in the Asian television industry after his signing with one of the most prominent film music companies based in China, THE SOUND. As an accredited composer, he has scored for numerous mainstream shows in Asia such as The Guardians (2025), In My Prime (2026), and Love Between Lines (2026). He is also fluent in the language of songwriting, collaborating with renown artists including ex-88Rising singer - sunkis.

As an avid gamer, Aaron also has been active in the gaming industry, working with multiple projects. His most active involvement is with Mayhem Mirror, a game development studio, as a composer working alongside well-respected veterans in the production field, including veteran composer Andrea Bellucci and game director Alvaro Garcías Martínez. Although the team is small in size, they strive for triple-A quality and have evidently created extraordinary experiences for users in public play-tests, catching the attention of numerous game publishers/investors, and currently holding around 70k wish-lists on Steam with growing interest from key markets in China, Korea, and Western Europe.

In 2025, Aaron co-founded Project Buta, a video game development studio with the mission to bridge video games with philanthropy. The business focuses on using interactive gameplay as a means for users to donate to various charity organizations through in-game content. The group has been registered as a licensed business and is currently in the state of fundraising with venture capitalists, having already raised more than $200,000 to fund its development.