The New York Times once referred to Rizo as “SENSATIONAL… A fierce but kindhearted fusion of comedy, burlesque, performance art, and rock ‘n’ roll.” Taking a cue from Piaf, Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) fully embraces the role of chanteuse. In recordings, she is a mysterious figure, a siren ushering you through tableaus of heartbreak, lust, and the murkiness in between. Live, she is an eyeful.
An international cult favorite, her stage shows bring her powerhouse vocals together with seductive storytelling and wild hilarious audience experiments. Rizo is a provocateur with an electric wit, and has been called a “diva par excellence” by The Guardian. In the 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.
Rizo has also received a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, a Time Out London theater award, and a London Cabaret Award. Rizo recently starred in the role of Madame Zinzanni in the revival of the much beloved Teatro ZinZanni and is in development for a television project with Michael Carbonaro of the popular series “The Carbonaro Effect.”
