As the landscape of media scoring evolves to require increasingly complex technical and stylistic integration, composer Shengyuan Li is garnering international attention for his ability to merge classical orchestral foundations with modern electronic production.
A graduate of the University of Southern California’s prestigious Screen Scoring program, Li has established a niche in the Los Angeles music industry by blending his background as a world-class percussionist with advanced interactive music systems for video games.
Li’s musical journey began when he was a teenager in Shanghai, where he immersed himself in a wide array of percussion instruments, ranging from the marimba and timpani to traditional Chinese percussion. His tenure as the principal percussionist for the Shanghai Youth Symphony Orchestra lasted nearly eight years, a period he credits with shaping his understanding of musical narrative. “I began as a percussionist and spent a lot of time studying traditional Chinese percussion, including the Chinese drum,” Li said. “In orchestral and cinematic music, Chinese drums can add a sense of scale and dramatic impact, especially in intense or epic moments. Studying percussion early on really shaped the way I think about rhythm, dynamics, and musical momentum when I compose today.”
While his early training was rooted in the concert hall, Li shifted toward technology at age 15, exploring synthesizer programming and electronic production. This dual interest led him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) before moving to Los Angeles to attend USC. The industry has taken note of his hybrid approach. Li’s list of accolades includes winning First Place at the 2023 Indie Film Music Contest and placing as a Top 10 finalist in the Berlin International Film Scoring Competition. Most recently, he was recognized at the Xunguang Microcosm Film Festival 2025 for his work on the short film Sue’s Art, which received an award for its artistic achievement and composition.
Li’s current work focuses heavily on the technical requirements of modern video games, where music must not only be cinematic but also reactive to player choices. By combining traditional instrumentation—such as the resonant Chinese drums of his youth—with contemporary electronic experimentation, Li aims to push the boundaries of traditional scoring. As a collaborator with student directors, animators, and game developers, he continues to develop scores that emphasize player immersion and narrative depth.
Li currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to produce music for various media projects, specializing in scores that bridge the gap between orchestral tradition and the future of interactive entertainment. He speaks to MSN about the historic Chinese drum, Nintendo and using rhythm to help storytelling in video games.
As a musician, how did you become a video game composer?
Shengyuan Li: I actually started by teaching myself electronic music production. At the same time, I was also a very passionate gamer, so games were always a big part of my life growing up. At some point I started wondering if there was a way to combine these two interests — music and games. That curiosity led me to explore game soundtracks and eventually learn more about how music works in games. From there, I gradually became more involved in game music composition, and over time that path naturally led me into working in the industry.
What video game soundtrack inspires you the most?
I’m a huge Nintendo fan, so I grew up listening to a lot of Nintendo game soundtracks. What inspires me the most about them is not just that they’re great, but that they cover so many different genres. Within a single game you might hear orchestral music, jazz, electronic, or even very experimental sounds.
You began as a percussionist, specializing in traditional Chinese percussion. What is the Chinese drum and why is it essential to orchestras?
I began as a percussionist and spent a lot of time studying traditional Chinese percussion, including the Chinese drum. It’s a large drum known for its powerful and resonant sound, and it’s often used to create strong rhythmic energy in music. In orchestral and cinematic music, Chinese drums can add a sense of scale and dramatic impact, especially in intense or epic moments. Their sound is very distinctive and can immediately bring a lot of energy to a piece.For me, studying percussion early on really shaped the way I think about rhythm, dynamics, and musical momentum when I compose today.
How can drum and bass work to storytelling through gaming?
Drums and bass play a very important role in storytelling in games because they directly influence the energy and pacing of a scene. Rhythm can immediately create tension, excitement, or urgency, especially during combat or action sequences. The bass, on the other hand, often helps shape the emotional weight of the music. A deep bass line can make a moment feel more powerful, mysterious, or dramatic. When drums and bass work together, they help drive the momentum of the gameplay and guide how the player emotionally experiences a moment. In that way, rhythm and low-end energy become an important storytelling tool in game music.
How does your work enhance visual storytelling through gaming?
My work enhances visual storytelling by helping reinforce the emotional meaning behind what players see on screen. The visuals show the world, the characters, and the action, but music helps guide how the player feels during those moments. For example, if a scene shows a mysterious environment or a large landscape, the music can emphasize that atmosphere through harmony, texture, and pacing. At the same time, in modern games the music can also respond to gameplay in real time. Using tools like interactive music systems, the soundtrack can change depending on what the player is doing or what is happening in the story. For example, during a boss fight or an intense scene, the music can gradually build or transition between layers to match the visual tension.
What kinds of audio enhancements do you use to enhance a video game? For example, using reverb, or atmospheric sounds for periods between games etc.
In modern game audio production, there are many tools and techniques that help enhance the player’s experience. For example, middleware such as Wwise allows composers and sound designers to simulate spatial audio environments. You can adjust things like volume and positioning based on the distance between the player and characters or objects in the game world, which helps create a more realistic and immersive sound field.
These tools also make it possible to design more interactive music systems. For instance, during a boss battle, the music can be divided into several different layers that correspond to different stages of the fight. As the player progresses or the boss changes state, the game engine can dynamically transition between these musical layers in real time.
This kind of adaptive music design helps the soundtrack respond directly to gameplay, which can greatly enhance immersion and make the player feel more connected to the action happening on screen.
What advice would you give to aspiring video game designers today?
One piece of advice I would give to aspiring game designers is to really understand games themselves. Playing a wide variety of games can help you understand how different systems, storytelling, and player experiences work. At the same time, it’s important to keep practicing and building your own projects. Game development is a very practical field, so experimenting with small projects or collaborations can help you learn a lot. Finally, I think collaboration is extremely important. Games are created by teams that include designers, programmers, artists, and composers, so learning how to communicate and work with others is a key part of the process.
How is the video game industry rapidly changing in 2026?
One major change in the video game industry in recent years is the increasing use of AI tools in production. AI can help improve efficiency in many parts of the development process, from prototyping ideas to assisting with technical workflows. For many teams, these tools can help speed up production and allow developers to focus more on creative decisions.
At the same time, the rise of AI is also pushing the industry to adapt and transform. As technology changes the way content is produced, expectations for efficiency and scale are also increasing. In the field of music and audio, this means composers and producers are also exploring new workflows while continuing to focus on creativity and musical storytelling.
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