Biography
Laura Rizzotto is a Brazilian/Latvian recording and performing artist and a professional singer/songwriter. Laura started playing the piano at the age of 9 and wrote her first ballad, "Reason Why", at the age of 11, when she used to live in the City of Edina, in Minnesota. She taught herself how to play the guitar and the ukulele at her early teens.
Laura started performing her own songs in the music scene of Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 15. Her first record deal, with Universal Music Brazil, came up one year later, just after a record executive saw her performing live in the legendary venue Modern Sound, in Copacabana. Her debut studio album "Made in Rio", released in 2011, was produced by British musician Paul Ralphes and the track "Who You Are", by Brazilian jazz legend Eumir Deodato.
"Made in Rio" was critically acclaimed and extensively featured in the Brazilian media. Laura was a guest artist in the main Brazilian TV shows and promoted the album with live performances in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, with a 6-piece band. The single "Fish Out of Water" was included in the soundtrack of a popular soap opera from Brazil's major TV network, Rede Globo.
Laura opened up for former Disney star Demi Lovato, at her major concert in Brazil, for 7,000 people, in April 2012. Shortly after, she was offered a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. In a bold move, she decided to give a break at her rising career in Brazil and move to Boston, to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree.
In June 2013, Laura was a Brand USA guest artist at the 2013 International Pow Wow Expo, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where she performed live for an audience of 6,000 travel delegates from the U.S. and 70 other countries.
She moved to Los Angeles, CA, in August of 2013 to record her sophomore studio album, "Reason To Stay", self-released in January 16, 2014. The album features 11 original tracks written and published by Laura, 3 of them in collaboration with her brother, Lucas. "Reason To Stay" was produced in Los Angeles and Tokyo by Nicolas Farmakalidis and mastered by Grammy award winner sound engineer Brad Blackwood.
"Reason To Stay" release served as a driving force to promote environmental education and a greater public awareness regarding the urgent need of conservation and restoration of Brazilian national tree, also known as "The Music Tree", which is listed as an endangered species and currently menaced by the bow-for-stringed-instrument industry.
While in California, Laura Rizzotto graduated from California Institute of the Arts, where she got a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Musical Arts. In 2014, Laura moved to NYC, to pursue a Masters in Music at Columbia University.
On November of 2015, Laura released the single "Miracle", as a tribute to road traffic victims. The tune was featured in the 2nd Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasília, Brazil, organized by the United Nations. The music video was shot and produced by André Pilli, a well known Brazilian YouTuber and video-maker, with whom Laura has done numerous collaborations.
In 2016, Laura has worked in studio with Jennifer Lopez, as a Portuguese vocal coach for the ballad "Chegaste", released by Jennifer in partnership with Brazilian music mogul Roberto Carlos.
On April of 2017, Laura was the moderator of the Music and Culture panel at the Brazil Conference, in Harvard University. The panel featured two Brazilian music icons: Gilberto Gil, Brazil's former minister of culture, and Yamandu Costa, a virtuoso on the acoustic guitar.
The singer/songwriter graduated from her Masters in the Arts at Columbia University on May of 2017, at only 22 years-old.
Laura's 3rd project is a series of EPs named after "Precious Stones". The first EP, "Ruby", was released in 2017.
