In 1979, he discovered the tambourine thanks to Alfio Antico and Raffaele Inserra, two traditional percussionists from the south of Italy... but he continued to learn on his own and gradually discovered, through traditional repertoires, as well as ancient music and the most contemporary research, all the possibilities of percussion played by hand.
The interpreter in him doubles as an inventor, because to go even further, he creates two new instruments, the polytimbral tambourine and the multitimbral tambourine, which allow him to adapt his astonishing virtuosity and his sense of improvisation to each of these repertoires that he has made his own.
Carlo Rizzo has been playing solo since 1992 in concerts mixing percussion and singing. He is regularly programmed on the major national stages and international festivals.
Since 1988, he has created or participated in the creation of some thirty ensembles that have allowed him to feel equally at ease with traditional, ancient, contemporary or jazz music.
In 2001, Carlo Rizzo was made a Knight of Arts and Letters.
He currently plays in many of the following formations: Carlo Rizzo in Solo Percussion and Italian traditional song, Trio Italian instrumental music and traditional song ...
He composed Tammurriata (commissioned by the CFMI of Lyon in 1991) - Poliritmia (commissioned by the Festival Les 38e Rugissants in 1992) - La Fête des Reugnes (commissioned by the State in 1993) - Toscane (commissioned by the State in 1998) - Canto Ritmico (commissioned by the CFMI of Lyon in 2000) - Lumiera (commissioned by Résonance Contemporaine, first performance in June 2000) - Les Trans(e)tambourins (commissioned by the State in 2003, production of the Festival Les 38e Rugissants) - ...) - Pas de Géants (commissioned by the Faubourg des Musiques de la Ville de Lille, first performance in 2008) - Da vicino e da lontano (commissioned by the Ville de Saint Martin d'Hères, first performance in 2009) - Du signe au son (commissioned by the Ville de Méricourt, first performance in 2009) - Rhytmhus (commissioned by Vosges Arts Vivants in 2010).