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Jessica Mao is a Bay Area-based composer, pianist, and educator. By combining her classical background with her love of video games, she creates music that is both vibrant and atmospheric. Her music, which has been performed by internationally renowned groups such as the Telegraph Quartet, is influenced by both the realistic and the fantastic. Jessica also has a passion for music technology. Taking inspiration from films and video games, she creates hybrid soundscapes that combine orchestral compositional techniques with elements of contemporary music production, allowing her to explore a wide range of timbres. These works have been recorded at locations including Skywalker Sound and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Jessica also performs as a pianist in both solo and ensemble settings. She has premiered her own works and arrangements, as well as other composers' music, across the U.S. and Europe. During her studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), she was the pianist for the New Music Ensemble and Conservatory Orchestra. As a collaborative pianist, Jessica plays piano for vocalists participating in state-, national-, and international-level events.
As an advocate for music education, Jessica is passionate about introducing people from all walks of life to the joys of music. Since 2016, she has taught
composition, music theory, music technology, and piano to students of all ages in her private studio, with her composition students having won awards from national competitions such as the National Young Composers Challenge.
Jessica is highly passionate about her work in the game audio industry. Recently, she orchestrated the G.A.N.G. Award-nominated main theme of Mortal Kombat 1 and provided additional music, and previously, she worked with Santa Monica Studio as a music production intern on major PlayStation titles such as God of War Ragnarök.
Jessica received her M.M. in composition and B.M. in Technology and Applied Composition from SFCM, where she studied with David Garner, Lennie Moore, and Clint Bajakian. When she isn't doing musical things, Jessica likes to draw Pikachus on whiteboards and drink milk tea. For some more information about her that may be of interest to you, please click here.