Cadence Chung

Cadence Chung is a poet, composer and classical mezzo-soprano, who often blends these different forms into her multidisciplinary work. Her debut poetry collection anomalia was written during her final year of high school, and was released by Tender Press in April 2022, reaching #10 on the national bestsellers charts. Rebecca Hawkes describes her poems as 'opulent and glittery', while Poet Laureate Chris Tse has called her 'one of our most promising new writers'. In that same year, she also founded Symposia Magazine, a literary magazine for emerging poets. As part of the inaugural Ruth and Oswald L Kraus Residency, she produced Mythos, a groundbreaking anthology of work by young New Zealanders featuring musical scores, poetry, and visual art, with an accompanying album featuring recordings of all the works.

Chung specialises in vocal composition and chamber music, often writing settings of contemporary New Zealand poetry. In 2022, she put on her original musical In Blind Faith at BATS Theatre, which featured 13 all-original songs for a small band. This musical received national news coverage, critical acclaim, and a sold-out season. She has created song cycles inspired by Sappho (Mad Heart, Verb 2022), New Zealand poets Rebecca Hawkes and Pippi Jean (Cud-Chewing Country, 2023) and Jackson McCarthy (Spoiled Fruit book launch, Verb 2023). Her works have been played on RNZ Concert's Sound Lounge, and performed by upcoming singers Tomairangi Henare and Sarah Mileham, as well as by the New Zealand String Quartet. Chung is also a singer, often performing her own pieces, as well as working with NZ Opera, Wellington Opera, and Stroma New Music Ensemble. Her BMus (Hons) in Classical Performance, with a Postgraduate Diploma in English Literature, will conclude in 2025.

She has received numerous accolades for her work, including the FAME Emerging Practitioner Award, the Ruth and Oswald L Kraus Innovator-in-Residence Award, the Kapiti Chorale Prize, the Victoria University Tangiwai Scholarship for Excellence, and the Margaret Kate Parker Prize. She has also received placings in the Lockwood NZ Aria Awards, Napier Performing Arts Awards, and Wellington Regional Vocal Awards, including winning the Graham Gillespie Memorial Cup for highest aggregate marks in Wellington two years in a row. Her poetry and short stories have been widely commended in numerous competitions, and in April 2024, she was invited to attend NZ Opera's inaugural forum for creatives. She is a passionate advocate for Aotearoa's young creatives and hopes to foster interdisciplinary collaborations in all of her work.