C. J. Cheng
PhD Student in Religion @ Harvard
Cellist and Composer
Chieh-Ting Joyce Cheng (she/they) is a cellist, composer, and scholar whose work centers on “re-sourcing” tradition to uplift marginalized voices and build expansive communities. She began her musical studies on the piano at age 6 and picked up the cello at age 9, earning titles in several music competitions across New York State and Taiwan throughout her childhood. Most notably, Joyce is the winner of the 2020 James and Katherine Andrews Young Artist Competition, which led to her solo debut with the Orchestra of Northern New York in 2021. Additionally, she is the winner of the 2020 Uel Wade Scholarship Competition and runner-up of the 2018 Stefan Scholarship Competition. Joyce also has ample ensemble experience, including serving as Principal Cellist in the Empire State Youth Orchestra and Assistant Principal Cellist in the New York All-State Orchestra.After stepping back from cello performance due to injury, Joyce returned to music during their graduate studies by combining their interests in composition and religious studies. Joyce’s original settings of scripture and liturgical texts have been performed at various religious services, including the Harvard Divinity School Multireligious Commencement Service and the Annual APIA Heritage Month Celebration of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Their latest composition was premiered in April 2026 by the world-renowned Parker String Quartet at Harvard University’s Paine Hall. Experimenting beyond their refined classical training, Joyce has performed and collaborated with several independent singer-songwriters in the Boston/Cambridge area, such as Em Wise and Kiernan the Band.Joyce is currently pursuing a PhD at Harvard through the Committee on the Study of Religion. Her research critically examines the relationship between biblical interpretation and embodied practice (e.g., asceticism, liturgy, and music) across various Christian communities, with particular attention to constructions of gender and sexuality in the Pauline epistles. Joyce recently graduated with a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School as a Presidential Scholar. She holds a Bachelor’s in religious studies and applied psychology, along with a minor in music, from New York University (2024).
Upcoming Performances
original compositions marked with *
Em Wise & Band: July 11th, 2026, 4pm @ Cambridge Porchfest (483 Mass Ave)Café Fest: July 26th, 2026, 3pm @ Cambridge Community CenterEm Wise & Band: August 8th, 2026, 6pm @ The Burren Backroom (Somerville, MA)
Past Performances
* An Antiphon for Pentecost (after the Style of Taizé) | Multireligious Commencement Service: May 27th, 2026, 3:30pm @ Harvard Divinity School* Caritas (ft. Parker String Quartet) | Advanced Composition Seminar Final Concert: April 28th, 2026, 5pm @ Paine Hall, Harvard UniversityKiernan the Band: April 24th, 2026, 8pm @ The Lilypad (Cambridge, MA)* The Light Shines in the Darkness | Seasons of Light: December 2nd, 2025, 5:30pm @ James Room, Harvard Divinity School* Currents (for Solo Cello) | Harvard Divinity School Open Mic: October 24th, 2025, 7pm @ Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity School* O Creation of God | Anglican/Episcopal Fellowship Noon Service: September 17th, 2025, 12pm @ Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity SchoolHaydn, Divertimento in D Major (arr. Piatigorsky) | Harvard Divinity School Commencement: May 29th, 2025, 1pm @ Harvard Divinity SchoolKummer, Three Duets for Two Cellos, Op. 22, Mvt. I | Seasons of Light: December 3rd, 2024, 5:30pm @ James Room, Harvard Divinity SchoolHaydn, Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major | Orchestra of Northern New York: June 5th and 6th, 2021 @ The Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary, Canton, NY (Live Streamed)
Past Events
[Panelist] Intersecting Identities: Asian American, LGBTQIA+, and the Church | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Annual Asian Heritage Month Celebration: May 2nd, 2026, 9am-1pm @ All Saints Parish, Brookline[Moderator] Can We Decolonize Anglicanism? A Panel with the Rev. Canon Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and Dr. Kwok Pui-Lan | Anglican/Episcopal Fellowship: April 21st, 2026, 6pm @ Braun Room, Harvard Divinity School[Preacher] Song as Sacrament: On Hildegard von Bingen's Ave Generosa | Anglican/Episcopal Fellowship Noon Service: September 17th, 2025, 12pm @ Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity School[Moderator] Christian Nationalism and The Episcopal Church: A Conversation with the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas | Anglican/Episcopal Fellowship: April 2nd, 2025, 6pm @ Braun Room, Harvard Divnity School[Preacher] Beyond the Ballot Box: On Identity and Electoral Politics | APIDA Noon Service: October 30th, 2025, 12pm @ Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity School
Academic Awards
Presidential Scholar, Havard Divinity School, Harvard University (2024 and 2025)Religious Studies Prize, Dean's Award, College of Arts & Sciences, New York University (2024)
Music Awards & Honors
Winner, James and Katherine Andrews Young Artist Competition, Orchestra of Northern New York (2020)Winner, Uel Wade Scholarship Competition (2020)Helen Cha-Pyo Baton Award, Empire State Youth Orchestra (2020)Runner-Up, Stefan Scholarship Competition, Schenectady Symphony Orchestra (2018)Principal Cellist, Empire State Youth Orchestra (2018-2020)Assistant Principal Cellist, New York All-State Orchestra (2018)Winner, Junior Division, Ithaca College Piano Competition (2016)Winner, Cello Junior Division, Taiwan Music Competition (2016)
Media
Select Compositions
Caritas (2026), string quartet, ca. 7’ | Premiered by the Parker String Quartet at Paine Hall, Harvard University.Currents (2025), solo cello, ca. 4’ | Premiered by C. J. Cheng at Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity School.O Creation of God (2025), SATB choir and any instrumentals, ca. 3’ | Premiered by the Harvard Divinity School Choir and Band at Williams Chapel, Harvard Divinity School. Written for the Harvard Divinity School Anglican/Episcopal Fellowship.