Acclaimed pianist Kana Mimaki is a versatile artist, recognized internationally for her
distinguished career as a soloist, collaborator, and educator. A first-prize laureate of the
Los Angeles Liszt Competition, International Russian Music competition, the Catania
International Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto Competition, and the Bradshaw and Buono
International Piano Competition, she has performed on prestigious stages and with
orchestras worldwide. Her concert career has taken her from Carnegie Hall and the
Kennedy Center in the United States to major venues across Europe and Asia, including
London, Paris, Tokyo, Sicily, and Budapest.

Dr. Mimaki’s global training began at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
and continued in the United States, where she earned a Master’s from the San Francisco
Conservatory and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Rice University. She has enjoyed
mentorships with internationally renowned pianists including André Watts, Gilbert
Kalish, Menahem Pressler, Anton Kuerti, and Alain Lefèvre.

Deeply committed to the future of classical music, she serves as Concert Director for the
Houston Young Artists’ Concert since 2007 and joined the Houston Ballet as a pianist in
2023.