Chieh-Ting Joyce Cheng
Scholar and Musician @ Harvard
Chieh-Ting Joyce Cheng (b. 2002) is a scholar and musician whose work centers on reimagining tradition to uplift marginalized voices and build inclusive spiritual communities. C.J. 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. Under the tutelage of Wendy Sutter, C.J. won the James and Katherine Andrews Young Artist Competition in 2020, leading to her solo debut with the Orchestra of Northern New York the following year. C.J. also has ample ensemble experience: she served as Principal Cellist in the Empire State Youth Orchestra and Assistant Principal Cellist in the New York All-State Orchestra, and performed chamber music regularly with her peers.After stepping back from cello performance due to injury, C.J. recently returned to music by combining their interests in composition and religious studies. C.J.’s settings of scripture and liturgical texts have been performed at various events across the Greater Boston area, including the Annual APIA Heritage Month Celebration of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the Harvard Divinity School Multireligious Commencement Service. Their latest piece, a string quartet which expands upon the 8th-century Christian hymn ubi caritas, was premiered in April 2026 by the Parker Quartet at Harvard University’s Paine Hall.C.J. is currently a PhD student in New Testament and Early Christianity at Harvard. Her research critically examines the relationship between biblical interpretation and embodied practice across late antique and early medieval Christian communities. She is particularly interested in exploring asceticism, monasticism, liturgy, and music as tangible sites of contestation over Pauline theological anthropology, including constructions of gender and sexuality.A devoted Episcopal layperson, C.J. hopes to utilize their scholarship to advocate for the full participation of women and LGBTQ+ people in churches across the Anglican Communion and beyond. As exemplified by their work with Canterbury Downtown (a campus ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of New York) and QFaith (an interfaith organization for LGBTQ+ students at NYU), they are passionate about teaching biblical literacy as a means for empowering LGBTQ+ youth.C.J. holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, where she was a Presidential Scholar. She received a Bachelor’s in Religious Studies and Applied Psychology magna cum laude from New York University in 2024, along with a minor in music.
Performances
original compositions marked with *
Bach Cello Suite No. 3, Mvts. IV & V | Harvard Divinity School 211th Convocation: September 1st, 2026 @ James Room, Harvard Divinity School
Em Wise & Band: August 8th, 2026, 6pm @ The Burren Backroom (Somerville, MA)Em Wise & Band at Cambridge Porchfest: July 11th, 2026, 4pm @ CCTV (483 Mass Ave)* An Antiphon for Pentecost (after the Style of Taizé) | Multireligious Commencement Service: May 27th, 2026, 3:30pm @ Harvard Divinity School* An Antiphon for Pentecost and Psalm 31 (Anglican Chant) | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Annual APIA Heritage Month Celebration: May 2nd, 2026, 11am @ All Saints Parish, Brookline* Caritas | 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* [Untitled] (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)
Speaking Engagements
[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
Conference Presentations
“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: Religiosity, Identity, and Belongingness Among LGBTQ+ Christian Young Adults.” NYU Applied Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference. (2 May 2024, New York, NY).
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)
Cello
Select Compositions
An Antiphon for Pentecost After the Style of Taizé (2026)
For choir and cello trio, 2:30
Premiered by C.J. Cheng (cello), Lia Pikus (cello), Grace Sill (cello), and the Harvard Divinity School Choir at Harvard Divinity School.An Antiphon for Pentecost and Psalm 31 (Anglican Chant) (2026)
For SATB choir and optional keyboard, ca. 5'
Premiered by Yuriko Nonaka (soprano), C.J. Cheng (alto), Shoji Mizumoto (tenor), and Emerson Fang (piano) at All Saints Parish, Brookline.Caritas (2026)
For string quartet, ca. 7’
Premiered by the Parker Quartet at Paine Hall, Harvard University.
O Creation of God (2025)
For 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.
Interviews/News
- Book of Common Prayer draws Gen Z to the Anglican, Episcopal tradition (Episcopal News Service)
- Hope Podcast: Featuring Joyce Cheng, MTS Candidate (Harvard Divinity School)