School
Academic Programs
Biography
Emma Hedrick is an award-winning jazz vocalist, composer and bandleader from Indianapolis, Indiana. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music as a Presser Scholar and a master’s degree from the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
Her debut album, “Newcomer,” was released in 2025, supported by Pathways to Jazz and YoungArts. Kyle Simpler of All About Jazz wrote about the release that she “develops her ethos with clarity, nuance and honesty… ‘Newcomer’ is not merely a showcase for a gifted vocalist; it’s the calling card of a composer with a strong melodic voice and an instinct for collaboration.”
Known for both voice and composition, her songs have been awarded Semi-Finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and Honorable Mention in the Jazz Education Network’s Young Composer Showcase. In 2019, she was awarded third place in the Ella Fitzgerald vocal competition.
Her research examining methods of creativity from the fields of visual art, writing and choreography, entitled “Collected Creativites,” was published in the inaugural ARJAZZ Journal in 2025 and was supported by the Stichting De Zaaier Foundation.
She has performed nationally and in Europe, including performances at the Indy Jazz Fest, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival, St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, as a part of the Aspen JAS Academy directed by Christian McBride, and in the Jong Metropole tour of the Netherlands and Germany conducted by Chris Walden, to name a few.
Education
- M.M., Royal Conservatoire, The Hague
- B.M., University of Miami
Areas of Expertise
Jazz, voice, composition/songwriting