Vanessa Y. Niu

Poet & classical mezzo-soprano.

about…

THE POETVanessa Y. Niu is a writer from New York City. Her work has been recognized by the Kennedy Center, Teen Vogue, the Guggenheim, and NYFW. She is an Adroit Prize for Poetry Finalist, Scholastic Gold Medalist, Best New Poets nominee, two time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, and commended Foyle Young Poet. Her work has been described as “lyrical…displaying a very sophisticated sense of form” (Trace Howard DePass and Patricia Spears Jones, NYS YPL 2024). She’s been published in The Adroit Journal, Frontier Poetry, Up the Staircase Quarterly, The Harvard Advocate, and others. She has worked on a variety of interdisciplinary projects, from performing at the Barclays Stadium for a WNBA Halftime Show to hosting a talk series about Chinese-American culture and identity at Welcome to Chinatown, NYC. On another type of lined page, her work has been set to music in collaborations with Juilliard and Interlochen composers.Vanessa is the third person to hold the title of New York State Youth Poet Laureate. “Over the next year, I’m excited to connect with people through the offering of poetry,” Vanessa stated, “intimate pieces of myself, scrimshaw I’m bringing back as a memento of what it’s like to live today as part of an Asian-American culture that is still learning about its own beauty and joy.” Judge Alan Semerdjian described the strength of Vanessa’s poetry: “Vanessa Niu's deft and imaginative explorations of self and identity are invitations for all of us to contemplate our own tethers and how to release them and how poetry is the vessel for this human voyage. Her compositions are masterful in their design and execution.”

THE SINGERVanessa Y. Niu is a classical mezzo-soprano. She studies at Special Music School under the instruction of Lisa Tamagini, and is graduating to the studio of Ron Cappon at Princeton University. 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 first singer to be recognized as 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. 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

honors & experience

  • Gold Medalist, Scholastic Arts & Writing for the poem “The Knife Radical:刂 in V Dialogues.”

  • Best New Poets Nominee, for the poem “Summer Birthday Speech” (nominated by $ poetry is currency, 2025).

  • 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” (nominated by Eucalyptus Lit, 2024).

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

  • Best of Net Nominee, for the poem “Cutting the Last Watermelon of the Season” (nominated by No Tokens, 2024).

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

  • Pushcart Prize Nominee, for the poem “Torso of a Young Man” (nominated by Red Branch Review, 2024).

  • 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.

  • 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 2025-2026, at the National YPL Commencement; Urban Word and Teachers & Writers Collaborative, selected by Alan Semerdjian,Stephanie Pacheco, and Asari Beale.

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

  • Winner, Eggtooth Editions Poetry Chapbook Contest 2025. Publication withdrawn.

  • 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, 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.

  • 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

  • May 2025: Schmidt Competition Finalist (Boston Regional)

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)

collabs & projects

  • ”Chinatown Renaissance: The Formation of a Chinese-American Identity” panel and world-building workshop, featuring Dong-Ping Wong (Food NYC). Urban Word x Welcome to Chinatown! NYC.

  • ”Chinese Jazz Bar,” improvisation by Philina and Nickita Zhang (Juilliard pre-college NYC) on keyboard and violin.

  • “Harmony and Dissonance,” with poetry by Kai Diata Giovanni, Cora Jade, Vanessa Y. Niu; music by Philina Zhang and Vanessa Y. Niu; 莊林祈 (Jacky Chuang) on violin.

  • “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)