RIZO
“SENSATIONAL… A fierce but kindhearted fusion of comedy, burlesque, performance art and rock ‘n’ roll” – The New York Times
BIO
Described as “a cult favorite, her stage shows bring her powerhouse vocals together with seductive storytelling and wild hilarious audience experiments,” Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) explores the delight and trappings of our shadow selves through her own songs and storytelling.
Taking a cue from Edith Piaf, Rizo fully embraces the role of chanteuse. A provocateur with an electric wit, she has been called a “diva par excellence” by The Guardian, and is no stranger to praise. In 2019, Rizo starred in the Teatro Zinzanni production of “Love, Chaos and Dinner,” which the Chicago Sun Times referred to as a “Grammy Award-winning vocalist whose powerhouse delivery is Lady Gaga meets Janis Joplin.” Rizo has also received a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, a Time Out London theater award, and a London Cabaret Award. Rizo served as the front woman of six piece house band for popular NYC club The Darby and performed alongside musical luminaries such as John Mayer, Leann Rimes and Bruno Mars. In the recording studio she has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma; whose album Songs of Joy & Peace, which features Rizo, won a Grammy Award.
She is currently in development for a television project with Michael Carbonaro of the popular series “the Carbonaro Effect.” Singing her anthem “Song of Freedom,” she has a featured cameo in the 2021 film Potato Dreams of America which premiered and won juried prizes at SXSW, Outfest, and Deauville. In 2020 she launched a podcast called “Baptized in Glitter” where she guides inspired chats with some of the sharpest creators in her Rolodex. As stated by The Wall Street Journal, “Rizo practically has the word ‘talent’ tattooed on her forehead.” In recordings, she is a mysterious figure, a siren ushering you through tableaus of heartbreak, lust, and the murkiness in between. Live, she exudes natural showmanship, unmissable vocals and curates a necessary church of glitter for us all.