Faculty

Dr. Mimi Zhang is an internationally recognized horn player and educator whose career encompasses distinguished performance, teaching, and cultural exchange between the United States and China. She joined the faculty of the Mannes School of Music at The New School in 2026. Prior to returning to New York, she served as Principal Horn of the Symphony Orchestra and Associate Professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She has recently performs with the Metropolitan Opera and serves on the horn faculty of the Manhattan School of Music Summer Program.

A graduate of the Middle School Affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music, Dr. Zhang began her musical studies on piano at the age of three before discovering the horn. She continued her musical studies in the United States, receiving full scholarships to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy, Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music, and Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Horn Performance.

As a performer, Dr. Zhang has appeared with ensembles including American Ballet Theatre, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra of China, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and the Macao Orchestra, among others. She was the first brass player to win the U.S. Spotlight Competition, which led to a solo performance at the Los Angeles Music Center and recognition in the Los Angeles Times. Her artistic career has also been featured on the cover of The Musical Instrument magazine in China.

Dr. Zhang’s artistic work extends beyond performance into the broader cultural life of music. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of MIOMA, an organization dedicated to fostering meaningful cultural exchange between the United States and China through music. Its annual international festivals bring together esteemed faculty and artists from renowned institutions including Yale, Juilliard, Curtis, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, and Boston University. She has also served as a juror for major international competitions and, since 2020, has been a Conn & Selmer Artist under the Steinway Musical Instruments umbrella.

As an educator, Dr. Zhang has held faculty positions at several institutions in both the United States and China and has served as a Teaching Artist at the Yale School of Music. She has presented master classes, lectures, and recitals at conservatories and universities internationally. Her students have received recognition in national and international competitions, earned scholarships to top conservatories and universities worldwide, and have won positions with leading orchestras and institutions.