Pianist Vladimir Mlinarić was born in Pula, Croatia. He graduated with a first-class honours degree from the Ljubljana Academy of Music (studying with Prof. Zdenka Novak) in 1987. He completed his postgraduate studies in Baroque and Classical Music under the same professor in 1990.
He continued his studies in Vienna in the class of Prof. Leonid Brumberg (1989-91) and took part in several summer courses conducted by Prof. Lucy Halmann-Russell, Constantin Bogino and Arbo Valdma. 

He won several first prizes in competitions for young musicians, the Prešeren Prize in 1986 and the first prize at the International Competition in Zemono (Slovenia) in 1987. He was among the prizewinners at the Ibla Grand Prix International Competition and the Liszt Competition in Lucca, Italy. He also won the first prize in Musikalisches Feuerwerk Competition in Baden-Baden, in June 2013.

Since 1981 Vladimir Mlinarić has performed as soloist and chamber musician in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Lithuania, Lebanon, Spain, Germany, Poland, the USA, Canada, Chile, China and Russia.

He has played with many renowned musicians (Pierre Amoyal, Nurit Pacht, Igor Gavriš, Kurt Widmer, Marcos and Bernarda Fink, Mirjam Kalin, Alessandro Svab, Jasminka Stančul). He is often a member of juries at various international piano competitions in Croatia, Russia, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro.

Since 1994 he has performed as the pianist of the Trio Luwigana, which has been awarded the Betteto (1998) and Zupancic (2001) prizes. He has made several recordings for the Slovene, Croatian and RAI (Trieste) radio and television. He is now Associate Professor of Piano at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He is also a member of juries on international piano competitions in Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro. He holds piano seminars and workshops in Slovenia, Russia, Italy, Austria and Bosnia.

Since 2002 he has been working as Associate Professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.