RIZO
“SENSATIONAL… A fierce but kindhearted fusion of comedy, burlesque, performance art and rock ‘n’ roll” – The New York Times
BIO
The New York Times has called Rizo (née Amelia Zirin-Brown) “a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs”—and they’re not alone in their admiration. Since releasing her second album Indigo in 2017, Rizo has collaborated with musical icons including Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter on his Grammy-winning Songs of Joy & Peace.
A true cult favorite, Rizo’s stage shows fuse powerhouse vocals with seductive storytelling and wildly hilarious audience experiments. Through her own songs and narrative performances, she explores the pleasures and pitfalls of our shadow selves, always with daring originality.
Taking inspiration from Edith Piaf, Rizo fully embraces the role of chanteuse. A provocateur with electric wit, she has been hailed by The Guardian as a “diva par excellence.” In 2019, she starred in Teatro Zinzanni’s Love, Chaos & Dinner, with the Chicago Sun-Times describing her as a “Grammy Award-winning vocalist whose powerhouse delivery is Lady Gaga meets Janis Joplin.” Her accolades include a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, a Time Out London theater award, and a London Cabaret Award.
Rizo has served as frontwoman for the six-piece house band at NYC’s renowned club The Darby, performing alongside artists such as John Mayer, LeAnn Rimes, and Bruno Mars.