Mimi Miyeon Barnardi

Mimi, previously known by her Korean name Mi-Yeon I, is an international prize winning classical concert pianist. She has performed at major concert halls around the world, and made numerous appearances on TV, radio and classical music magazines.

Originally from South Korea, she started playing the piano at age 9 and within two years she was accepted with high distinction to the Sun-Wha School for the Performing Arts in Seoul.

She continued her piano studies after immigrating to New Zealand with her family in 1995, and won numerous first prizes in top national music competitions.

In 1998, she became the first student ever to be granted a special admission to Victoria University of Wellington after completing Year 11 at high school, entering the university two years in advance.

At 16, she performed at the ‘Symphony Under the Stars’ with Auckland Philharmonia at the Auckland Domain, and also performed for former Prime Ministers Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark of New Zealand.

She received a BMus with First Class Honours and “Blue” award at the age of 20 from the University of Auckland, and a Masters degree and performance diploma at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, United States, after receiving the highest performance score upon entering, and won the First Prize at the H. Winter Competition held by the conservatory and performed as a soloist with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. She also holds a performance diploma from the prestigious Incontri col Maestro International Piano Academy in Imola, Italy, where only a few selected pianists around the world study with renowned maestros producing best pianists of this generation.

She became the first New Zealander to win one of the top prizes – Third Prize and a special Rolex prize – at the 52nd Maria Canals International Music Competition in Barcelona, supported by the then-Queen Sofia of Spain.

Other highlights include performing at the Seoul Arts Center and Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and at world heritage sites such as Gaudi’s La Pedrera in Barcelona. Her performance at the Palau de la Musica of Barcelona under the baton of David Gimenez Carreras, was filmed and featured across Europe by UNESCO.

She also adjudicates and serves as a jury member for piano competitions and she is currently based in Shanghai, China.