Vladimir Mlinarić je rojen v Puli (Hrvaška), študiral je v Ljubljani in na Dunaju (Z. Novak in L. Brumberg). Je dobitnik številnih nagrad na nacionalnih in mednarodnih tekmovanjih. Kot koncertant je obiskal večino evropskih držav ter ZDA, Kanado, Čile, Kitajsko in Rusijo. Igral je v komornih zasedbah z znanimi domačimi in tujimi umetniki, kot član tria LUWIGANA je prejemnik Betetove in Zupančičeve nagrade.
Od leta 2002 deluje kot profesor na ljubljanski Akademiji za glasbo, od leta 2021 je tudi predstojnik oddelka za instrumente s tipkami. Strokovni kritiki ga ocenjujejo kot prefinjenega interpreta, ki v sebi združuje akademizem in fantazijo ter ambicijo in ljubezen do glasbe. O njegovih izvedbah pišejo kot preciznih in preglednih, o njegovem stilu pa, da je diskreten in nevsiljiv.
Je član strokovnih žirij na tekmovanjih na Hrvaškem, v Srbiji, Sloveniji, Bosni, Italiji, Črni Gori in Rusiji.
Vladimir Mlinarić was born in Pula (Croatia), studied in Ljubljana and Vienna (Z. Novak and L. Brumberg). He is the winner of numerous awards at national and international competitions. As a concert performer, he visited most European countries as well as the USA, Canada, Chile, China and Russia. Played in chamber ensembles with well-known domestic and foreign artists, as a member of the LUWIGANA trio he is the recipient of the Betet and Zupančič awards. Since 2002, he has been working as a professor at the Ljubljana Academy of Music, and since 2021 he is head of the piano department. Professional critics assess him as a sophisticated performer who combines academicism and fantasy as well as ambition and love for music. His performances are described as precise and transparent, and his style is described as discreet and unobtrusive.
He is a member of expert juries at competitions in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Italy, Montenegro and Russia.