Regarded by fellow jazz singers as “a dynamic improviser who interprets a lyric with sincerity and a beautiful sense of style,” Deadra has a unique, crystal-clear voice that breathes new life into music.
Born in Germany, to a Dutch ballerina and an American pianist, this 27-year-old jazz singer moved to the United States as a young child and proceeded to bounce around the country from Los Angeles to the Midwest until she landed her first jazz gig at the age of 17. Deadra can’t remember a time when she wasn’t singing, but does recall that when she started performing in clubs as a teenager she thought, “if I can do this for the rest of my life, I will be happy.”
With that in mind, Deadra went to the University of North Texas on a talent scholarship to study jazz, and it wasn’t long before she was working extensively as a singer and recording artist in the Dallas/Fort Worth music scene. She also performed with the DownBeat-award-winning UNT Jazz Singers for five straight years.
After receiving her Bachelor of Music degree and establishing herself in Texas as an innovative musician and sensitive balladeer, Deadra felt called by her European roots, and in the summer of 2002, this Dutch-American artist was invited to join the music faculty at The American School of The Hague in The Netherlands. So it was off to Amsterdam, where she performed in the city’s top jazz clubs, taught voice, and focused on writing new music. It was just a few months after moving to Holland that Deadra recorded her debut album, Wherever I Go. She briefly returned to Texas to bring together her band for this album of standards, which has already sold hundreds of copies and can be heard on jazz radio stations as far away as Australia and Indonesia.
After several years overseas, Deadra decided to return to the U.S.—and this time, she landed in New York City. Happy to be in this bustling city, Deadra spent a year performing in clubs, studying with gifted musicians such as Sheila Jordan, teaching private voice and writing original material.
Then in August, Deadra received an offer to join the jazz faculty of the Instituto de Musica Contemporanea (Berklee College of Music) at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. She moved to Ecuador in September to head the vocal jazz program where she was in residence until January 2006. Deadra played in Quito's fantastic jazz clubs showcasing her original music in concerts with guest artists from the States, and performed extensively with the USFQ Faculty Jazz Ensemble.
Thrilled to be back in New York City after a fabulous time in Ecuador, Deadra began working with a newly formed Latin group, Ligação. This unique ensemble brings together a tasting of beautiful songs from South America and mixes it with a jazz sentiment.
For the past three years, Deadra has been performing regularly with her quintet in New York City and is writing extensively. She is currently working on her second album. Check the performance page for more details about where Deadra is performing.

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