biography

Umi Garrett is a highly accomplished solo, collaborative, and chamber pianist based in New York City. A first-prize winner of the Juilliard School's Concerto Competition and a finalist at the National Chopin Piano Competition, Umi has performed numerous recitals in the United States and internationally. As a dedicated collaborator, Umi has performed at renowned competitions such as the Primrose International Viola Competition and the Sphinx Competition with prize-winners. Most recently, Umi was awarded the John Newmark Prize for Best Collaborative Pianist for her performances with finalist Nathan Meltzer at the 2023 Montreal International Violin Competition. 

Umi has performed and toured with orchestras such as the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Boca Raton, Boston Symphony and Pops, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Wuhan Symphony Orchestra, and the New Mexico Philharmonic. Umi is also a passionate performer of new music, and has collaborated with and performed pieces by acclaimed composers such as Samuel Adler, inti figgis-vizueta, and Gabriela Smith. 

In addition to her artistic endeavors, Umi is deeply committed to non-profit organizations and humanitarian causes, organizing two arts festivals at the height of COVID and co-founding Pacific Academy Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships to young artists, athletes, and scholars. Umi has also given lecture-performances at TEDx conferences and La Ciudad de las Ideas in Mexico.

Umi has released three solo albums and is set to release her most recent album this season of the complete Beethoven Sonatas for piano and cello, recorded in collaboration with cellist Emily Mantone. Umi is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Hung-Kuan Chen where she is a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Umi is a Young Steinway Artist.