Melissa Rios is an Acoustic Soul and R&B singer/songwriter based in Albuquerque, NM. She is originally from Las Cruces, NM and has been playing music professionally for 15 years.

She started out in local mariachi groups where she learned how to play guitar and vihuela. She was also trained in mariachi vocal style. At the age of 16 she was the recipient of the Elisa Gastellum Memorial Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding mariachi vocalists, at the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference.

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In 2009 she was accepted into the University of New Mexico where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. She studied classical guitar under Benjamin Silva and Michael Chapdelaine and participated in various classical guitar ensembles, workshops, and masterclasses under the direction of John Truitt, Paul Nielsen, and Olga Amelkina-Vera.

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Melissa released her debut album of all original music, “Love & Time” on November 11th, 2016.  She has been featured on KUNM-FM 89.9 show “Ear to the Ground” with Matthew Finch and “Roots of Indie” with Casey Mortensen, as well as the Matt Kollock Show Podcast. 

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Her album "3 A.M." was a finalist in the 2019 NM Music Awards for "Best Pop Album". Her single “Siren Song” was a finalist in the 2021 NM Music Awards for "Best Vocal Performance". And her latest single, "Spiteful Creature", released on all digital platforms on November 22nd, 2022, is a finalist in the 2023 NM Music Awards for "Best Adult Contemporary Song".

 

Melissa is currently working on her 3rd album, "Sunlight", scheduled to be released in Summer 2023.  

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Melissa Rios is endorsed by:

Grace Harbor Guitars

Shubb Capos

John Pearse Strings

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