About.

Praised for “genuinely memorable performance” by BBC Music Magazine, pianist Miki Aoki is widely recognized for her diverse abilities as a pianist and collaborative artist. 
   

Equally celebrated as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist, Miki Aoki brings exceptional versatility and depth to her performances, which have captivated audiences across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at Arizona State University. 

Dr. Aoki records exclusively for German Label Hänssler Profil. Her debut album, comprised of the piano works of Zoltan Kodaly, was released in the fall of 2011 and won critical acclaim. Her second CD, ‘The Belyayev Project’, features fascinating compositions varying from solo piano works by Liadow, Glazunov and Blumenfeld to the expressive and rhapsodic piano Trio by Rimsky-Korsakov. It was released in 2013. The Fanfare Magazine praised ‘The Belyayev Project’ as a “graceful, expressive and transparent performance”, and The Ensemble Magazine (Germany) wrote, “...pianist Miki Aoki interprets magically.” Her third CD, ‘Mélancolie’, was released in May 2016 and was awarded a special prize by the Japanese music magazine “Record Geijutsu”. ‘Tokyo Story’, was released in 2018. This recording is a world-premiere, featuring music from the films of Yasujiro Ozu in their original piano manuscript versions and has enjoyed an especially enthusiastic reception from the Japanese media.

A frequent guest artist in prestigious concert series and festivals around the world, Dr. Aoki made her debut at age of 12 at the Royal Festival Hall in London's South Bank Centre as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra. She has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall in New York City, St. Martin-in-the Fields, St. John’s Smith Square, the Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room at South Bank Centre, the Barbican centre, Blackheath Halls (UK), Laeizhalle Hamburg, Gasteig München, Philharmonie Essen, Beethovenssal Hannover (Germany), Philia Hall, Munetsugu Hall (Japan), Wiener-Saal (Austria), St-Petersburg Philharmonic Hall (Russia) as well as in festivals such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommen, Salzburger Festspiele, Rheingau Festival (Germany), Menuhin Festival Gstaad (Switzerland), International Chamber Music Festival Silver Lyre (Russia), Beaulieu-sur-la Mer (France), Valdres Festival (Norway), Copenhagen Summer Music Festival (Denmark), Steirisches Kammermusik Festival (Austria), Tertis International Viola Competition and Festival (Isle of Man), Tembi Festival (Indonesia), Phnom Penh International Music festival (Cambodia) and the International Classical Music Festival (Myanmar).

Dr. Aoki has performed as soloist with the National Symphony, London Soloist Chamber Orchestra, Hamburg Camerata, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Washington Sinfonietta and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México. Her performances have been broadcasted on NDR-North German Radio, RBB- Radio Berlin, Brandenburg, BR Classics, WDR, Hessischer Rundfunk, Radio Suisse Romande, ORF Austria, Radio France, 98.7 WFMT Chicago, MPR Classic and ABC Classic FM Australia and BBC Radio 3. Her artistry has been honored with prizes at distinguished competitions in the United States and Europe, including the IBLA World Competition.

As a highly sought-after collaborative pianist, Dr. Aoki has performed with leading artists including Noah Bendix-Balgley, Antoine Tamestit, Dami Kim, Ani Kavafian, Philip Setzer, Arnaud Sussmann, Amit Peled and Colin Carr, as well as members of the Vienna Philharmonic. She has been engaged by prestigious programs such as the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program, and the Mozarteum Salzburg Summer Academy, and has served on the faculty of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Kronberg Academy, as well as a staff pianist at The Juilliard School. She has also served as official pianist for national and international competitions, including the Deutsche Musikwettbewerb, the Joseph Joachim Hannover International Violin Competition, and the Tokyo International Viola Competition. A dedicated educator, she has taught solo piano and chamber music masterclasses at Lawrence University, Roosevelt University, the Stony Brook University undergraduate program, and the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division. She also regularly gives masterclasses in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Dr. Aoki started playing the piano at age 4 and moved to London at age 9 where she joined the Purcell School of Music. Dr. Aoki earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University, Master of Music degree from Yale University, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University (SUNY), and completed the prestigious Konzertexamen with distinction at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. 

During the pandemic, Dr. Aoki founded and launched the virtual concert series, ‘Musik in the Air’. All programs are woven together uniquely by Dr. Aoki, and each has a theme; each in addition to the mission of ‘Musik in the Air’ which is to bring a world-class concert experience to listeners wherever they may be.

Her artistic commitment, extensive repertoire, and dedication to teaching the future generation of pianists and collaborative pianists continue to inspire audiences and students worldwide.

Miki Aoki is a Steinway Artist. 

Updated: September 2025