Gary Chang | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1953-02-22)February 22, 1953 (age 72) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Composer,musician |
| Instrument | Synthesizer |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Gary Chang (born 22 February 1953) is an American composer and musician, known for his film scores. Working primarily in theaction andthriller genres, he has composed the scores to over 70 films and television productions, often collaborating with directorsJohn Frankenheimer andCraig R. Baxley.[1]
Born into a family of musicians inMinneapolis, Minnesota, Chang studied atCarnegie Mellon University and theCalifornia Institute of the Arts.[2] He studied electronic music underMorton Subotnick,[3] and established himself as asession musician andsynthesizer programmer for the likes ofAl Jarreau,Herbie Hancock,Chick Correa,Robbie Robertson, andWeather Report.[3][4]
He began his film scoring career working forGiorgio Moroder andHarold Faltermeyer.[2] His first scoring credit on a film was as an additional music credit forThe Breakfast Club (1985), writing and performing the track “Dream Montage”. In 1986, he scored the film52 Pick-Up for directorJohn Frankenheimer, launching his solo scoring career.[4] He would subsequently work with Frankenheimer onDead Bang (1989) andThe Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).
He frequently works with directorCraig R. Baxley, particularly on hisStephen King collaborations.[1] His scores for other directors includeMiami Blues,Under Siege,Sniper,The Substitute andDouble Team. For his work onUnder Siege, he won aBMI Award.[5]
Chang is an associate professor of music composition for the screen atColumbia College Chicago.[1]
