“Her artistry is as much about hope as reflection,” -All About Jazz

Emma Hedrick is a jazz vocalist and composer based in Indianapolis and Upstate New York. Grounded in jazz tradition yet sculpting a new sound, Hedrick is known for her compositional originality, honest lyric delivery, and inventive collaborations. She captivates audiences with her authentic songwriting and nuanced performances. All About Jazz has said, “her artistry is as much about hope as reflection,” about her work. She has performed across the U.S. and Europe, including at the Indy Jazz Fest, Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), and Konzerthaus (Berlin), and has led her quintet at clubs and festivals, including the Elkhart Jazz Festival, The Jazz Kitchen, and the Bop Stop, to name a few. 

Hedrick was awarded a Pathways to Jazz Grant from Boulder County Arts Alliance and a YoungArts Microgrant for the creation of her debut Album, “Newcomer,” released in 2025. She was also recently granted a New Works Commission by the Center for the Performing Arts (IN) and a Dairy Arts Co-Production commission (CO) for her project “Wild Stories: Native Ecosystems Retold”, a collaboration with a wildlife photographer for a live performance of a jazz trio and projected visuals. 

She currently serves on the faculty in Jazz and Commercial Music at Syracuse University and has been a visiting guest artist at East Tennessee State University and Butler University. Hedrick received her M.M. in vocal jazz performance from the Royal Conservatoire, the Hague, and her B.M. in Vocal Jazz Performance from the University of Miami as the Presser Scholar for her graduating class.