Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship Awarded Carol Gao was named the fall 2023 scholarship recipient during a panel at the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium.
By
Daniel Pesquera
October 24, 2023
Carol Gao
Image courtesy of the artist
Carol Gao was named the recipient of the fall 2023 Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship in an announcement made at the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Belgium. The news was delivered by Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music for Electronic Arts (EA), and Katie Rupinski B.M. '23, who was awarded the inaugural scholarship last spring, during a panel on mentorship held at the event.
Gao, a native of Toronto, Canada, double majoring in game and interactive media scoring and electronic production and design, will receive $15,000 and professional mentorship opportunities with a team of world-class video game composers at EA after she graduates this spring. Gao is a pianist and member of the leadership board of Berklees Video Game Music Club.
Receiving this award has been so overwhelming. It's hard to put into words how honored and grateful I am, said Gao. I came to Berklee after a long break from music, so making the choice to pivot back to it felt like a huge risk at the time. Now, to be given such recognition for something I'm deeply passionate about is absolutely surreal. I'm so excited and hopeful for what the future holds!
The panel, titled Learn by Doing: The Importance of Mentorship, took place in front of an audience of industry professionals from around the world. Alongside renowned composers Stephen Barton and Stephanie Economou, Rupinski shared her firsthand experiences learning from a team of EA composers working on the original score for the next Star Wars video game. The panel was introduced by Schnur, who presented Rupinski with the formerly named Next Gen Scholarship during EA Day at Berklees campus in Boston last April.
I'm honored to have been given the opportunity to talk about all EA has provided me and how they continue to support me as I step out of school and enter the industry, said Rupinski. I can't overemphasize the importance of the amazing connections made during my time at the EA mentorship and how important time with mentors in the industry can be for upcoming composers. I feel extremely grateful to not just have met these amazing people in the industry and hear their wisdom but to know them as people.
Katie Rupinski B.M. '23 (left) speaks on a panel at the World Soundtrack Awards.
Johannes De Bruycker
Rupinski will soon begin her role at ROTU Entertainment, an award-winning gaming and virtual art studio, where she will work as a production assistant composing upcoming projects.
Katie Rupinski is a uniquely talented young composer whose career now has the professional momentum it deserves, said Schnur. I was proud to announce Katies first professional assignment at ROTU at our World Soundtrack Awards mentorship panel. We were also thrilled to announce the program's second scholarship recipient, Carol Gao, during the event. Our commitment to the EA/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship has only just begun.
The EA/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship is offered to one student composer each semester who is majoring or minoring in game and interactive media scoring, and who has demonstrated support of women and non-cisgender individuals in the industry. The continuation of this partnership reflects the two institutions' shared commitment to gender inclusion and the ongoing efforts to foster the next generation of female composers.
Katie Rupinski is beyond deserving of the inaugural EA Charting Change scholarship. Her unyielding talent, unbridled enthusiasm, and indomitable spirit, combined with the industry experience EA and Schnur have provided, will make her unstoppable, said Sean McMahon, chair of the Screen Scoring Department at Berklee. Its so encouraging to see the emerging impact of the EA/Berklee partnership. Were grateful for the generosity of EA and Steve Schnur, and their commitment to change-its making a difference and means everything.
About Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The company develops and delivers games, content, and online services for internet-connected consoles, mobile devices, and personal computers.
In fiscal year 2022, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA Sports, FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Madden NFL, Need for Speed, Titanfall, Plants vs. Zombies, and F1. More information about EA is available at ea.com/news.
EA Sports, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Elena Pinderhughes
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee Announces 2023 Fall Signature Series Lineup This years series will feature Elena Pinderhughes, Braxton Cook, Pavel N ez, and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, as well as a career-spanning tribute to Madonna.
Latest
George Howard
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee and NEAR Foundation Partner to Launch RAIDAR RAIDAR is an innovative and creator-centric marketplace for Berklee students and alums to upload and sell their original works utilizing emerging technologies.
Roxanne Shant
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee's Africana Studies Division Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop Roxanne Shant , Prince Charles Alexander, and Edo G. will be the inaugural inductees into Berklee's Hip Hop-Hall of Fame.
Legendary rap artis
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Electronic Arts/Berklee Charting Change Scholarship Awarded Carol Gao was named the fall 2023 scholarship recipient during a panel at the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium.
