Vanessa Y. Niu

Poet & classical mezzo-soprano.

about

THE POETVanessa Y. Niu is a writer and editor from New York City. Her work has been recognized by the Kennedy Center, Teen Vogue, the Guggenheim, and NYFW. She is the runner-up for the 2024 New York State and New York City Youth Poet Laureate, a two time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, finalist of the Adroit Prize for Poetry 2024, and commended Foyle Young Poet. Her work has been described by NYS YPL judges Trace Howard DePass and Patricia Spears Jones as “lyrical…displaying a very sophisticated sense of form.” She’s been published in The Adroit Journal, Frontier Poetry, Up the Staircase Quarterly, The Harvard Advocate, and more. Off the lined page, her work has been set to music in collaborations with Juilliard and Interlochen composers. When not writing, she enjoys playing volleyball or watching the Great British Bake-Off.

THE SINGERVanessa Y. Niu is a mezzo-soprano. She studies at Special Music School under the instruction of Lisa Tamagini. She had the pleasure of premiering Danny Clay’s “Music for Hard Times” as one of five vocalists, making her chamber debut singing Stabat Mater with St Teresa’s Church chamber group, and making her concert debut with the Park Symphony Orchestra singing Mozart’s “Deh, per questo istante solo” at Merkin Hall, as the only singer to be a Wildcard Winner in the 2024 Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition. She was described by Opening Night Review New York as having a “rich, impassioned voice” with a “expressive, dramatic, and poised” interpretation of Mozart. She has participated in masterclasses with Nicholas Phan, Amanda Majeski, Jane Marsh, Dr Sherry Overholt, Andreas Schmidt at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and more.

poetry

select publications

experience & honors

  • Pushcart Prize Nominee, for the poem “Cutting the Last Watermelon of the Season” (published by No Tokens Journal).

  • Pushcart Prize Nominee, for the poem “Torso of a Young Man” (published by Red Branch Review).

  • Finalist, The Adroit Prize for Poetry 2024 for the poem “Triptych for Three-Part Mixed Chorus.” Selected by Ocean Vuong.

  • Commended, Foyle Young Poets’ Award, selected by Vanessa Kisuule and Jack Underwood.

  • Best of Net Nominee, for the poem “Hunting for Daddy’s Girls” (published by Eucalyptus Lit).

  • Best of Net Nominee, for the poem “Cutting the Last Watermelon of the Season” (published by No Tokens).

  • First Place, JUST POETRY!!! 26th Annual National High School Poetry Contest: for the poem “Portrait (1915) and Sonnet (Deconstructed).” “Best of Issue.” Printed in the Fall 2023 National Poetry Quarterly.

  • First Place, No Tokens Youth Prize for Poetry: for the poem “Cutting the Last Watermelon of the Season,” Spring 2024.

  • Second Place, CCNY 52nd Poetry Competition: for the poem “desert dialogue.” Reading at the 52nd CCNY Poetry Festival, September 2024.

  • New York State Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up: Commencement at Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., April 2024. Selected by Patricia Spears Jones, Georgia Popoff, and Trace Howard DePass.

  • NYC Youth Poet Laureate Finalist (October 3rd 2023 - November 9th 2023). Final performance at St Francis College, November 2023. Selected by Urban Word, NYC.

  • Federal Hall Poetry Fellowship, Winter 2023. Selected by Urban Word, NYC.

  • Finalist, Harbor Editor’s Chapbook Prize 2023-2024, selected by Allison Blevins.

  • Finalist, Harbor Editions’ Laureate Prize 2024, selected by Maya Williams.

  • Finalist, Black Lawrence Press Immigrant Writing Series Chapbook Competition, selected by Abayomi Animashaun, Sun Yung Shin, Rigoberto Gonzalez, and Ewa Chrusciel.

  • [UNTITLED] Guggenheim Masterclass Series (April-May 2024). Taught by Caits Meissner, work displayed in the Guggenheim Museum Fall 2024.

  • Iowa Young Writer’s Studio, under Gilad Jaffe (Summer 2024)

  • Brave New Voices Slam Poetry Competition 2024, July 19th-23rd 2024, Washington D.C., the Urban Word Slam Poetry Team.

  • Interlochen Arts Camp, Creative Writing (Summer 2023)

  • Maddy Summer Artist Award: for work done at Interlochen Arts Camp in Creative Writing, Summer 2023. Selected for a manuscript consultation with Erika Meitner and Collage Finalist.

  • Muse Manifesto Literary Editor (July 2023—)

  • Poetry Society of New York Editorial Intern (September 2023—February 2024)

select readings & features

  • ”Living Ode” commissioned by 3.1 Phillip Lim New York Fashion Week Exhibition (February 2024). Covered by Teen Vogue.

  • "There should be a word for…” at the Guggenheim: Late Shift: Words Matter (August 2024)

  • “Assimilation” at the WNBA Halftime Show Performance at the Barclays Center (August 2024). Hosted by NY Liberty.

  • Harlem Week Slam Award Ceremony Feature (August 2024). Hosted by Harlem Bomb Shelter.

  • Girls Write Now x Urban Word Season Opening, Feature (August 2024).

  • No Tokens’ Issue 11 Launch Reading & Young Poet’s Prize Celebration (August 2024) at Pete’s Candy Shop, Brooklyn.

music

education & honors

  • Special Music School, High School Diploma (June 2025). Studio of Lisa Tamagini.

  • Mozarteum International Summer Academy (Summer 2022). Studio of Prof. Andreas Schmidt.

  • Interlochen Arts Camp (Summer 2023). Studio of Dr Caitlin Moore.

  • Additional: Masterclass April 2022, Dr Sherry Overholt; Masterclass July 2023, Amanda Majeski; Masterclass; January 2024, Jane Marsh; Masterclass March 2024, Nick Phan

  • May 2024: CS Music Semifinalist

  • May 2024: Kaufman Concerto Competition Wildcard Winner

selected performances

  • Wolf’s “Das verlassene mägdlein” from Mörike-Lieders in the MLK Auditorium (SMS Performance Class)

  • C. Gounod’s “Que fais-tu blanche tourterelle” in the MLK Auditorium (SMS Performance Class)

  • Manuel de Falla’s #6 “Canción”, from Siete canciones populares Espanolas, in Ann Goodman Recital Hall (Vocal Chamber recital)

  • Danny Clay’s “Music for Hard Times” World Premiere as Vocalist 2 at Merkin Hall

  • Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at St Teresa’s Church, soprano part

  • Ethel Smyth’s “On the Road” at Merkin Hall (Nick Phan’s “Artist as Activist” showcase)

  • W.A. Mozart’s “Deh, per questo istante solo” at the Concerto Competition Winners’ Concert, with Park Symphony Orchestra

  • Schumann’s “Liebesgram” and “Ich bin geliebt” from Spanisches Liederspiel, Op.74 in the MLK Black Box, alto (Vocal Chamber recital)

collaborations

  • “Genesis Femina,” composition by Philina Zhang (Juilliard pre-college NYC) for voice and piano.

  • “Anatomy of the Modernist Mosaic,” composition by Ailon Goraly (Interlochen Arts Camp) for oboe, flute, cello, mezzo-soprano, and soprano.

  • “12:55 AM,” composition by Hai Bai Chen (Juilliard pre-college Tianjin) for voice and piano.

  • “When in the Garden of Hieronymous Bosch,” composition by Hai Bai Chen (Juilliard pre-college Tianjin) for SATB choir.

  • “Overture: Amduat as Love,” song cycle by Adi Shapira (The Purcell School) for voice and accompaniment.

get in touch

“Let me go nowhere and stay / everywhere, trek through / greens and reds and say /
nothing.” (goodnight memo)