Chan Poling

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Chandler Hall Poling (1957- ) is a United States composer.

Born in 1957 in Evanston, Illinois, Chan Poling moved to Minnesota with his family when he was a child. He studied composition at MacPhail Center For The Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, after graduating from high school there, went on to study composition and performance at the California Institute of the Arts from 1975–1977.

Influenced by jazz and theater music and the burgeoning punk and new wave pop music of that time, as well as the music of Minimalists Terry Riley, Steve Reich and also world and avant-garde performer/composers like Meredith Monk, as well as the treasure-trove of film scores available to students at Cal Arts, Mr. Poling went on to write and perform dance scores, student theater and film scores and start his own rock band, The Suburbs. The Suburbs got their first recording contract with Twin/Tone Records and went on to record music for PolyGram Records, A&M Records, Universal Music, Restless/BMG. The Suburbs were voted among the “100 Most Influential Minnesota Musical Entities of the Twentieth Century” by The Mpls. Star Tribune.

In the 1990s Chan made 2 solo albums: one a record of his score for Theatre de La Jeune Lune's "Children Of Paradise, and the other a record of off-kilter pop songs; "Calling All Stars" for Manifesto Records. In 2005 he formed The New Standards with John Munson of Semisonic and released a CD; "The New Standards" which is comprised of interpretations of a diverse collection of songwriters with Mr. Poling on grand piano, Mr. Munson on stand-up bass, and Steve Roehm on vibraphone.

Mr. Poling’s music credits in the world of theater include award-winning work for the Tony Award-winning French/American troupe Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Kevin McCollum commissioned Chan to write music for a new work developed under the aegis of The Ordway Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Chan Poling had three children, with ex-wife Terri Paul. He has 2 daughter's and a son. They are named, Chandler (24), Maddie (19), and Olivia (17). In 2005 Mr. Poling married Eleanor Mondale, daughter of the ex-vice president, Walter Mondale. They live in Minnesota on a small farm where they raise miniature horses.