Väinö Viljanen (b. 2008) began playing the piano at the age of 7 under the guidance of his grandfather, Pekka Viljanen. After a year of practice, he was accepted into the Turku Conservatory as a student of Marko Autio. His studies later continued under Maria Männikkö. Currently, Väinö is taught by both Männikkö and Roope Gröndahl. Väinö has participated in numerous piano masterclasses with teachers such as Matti Raekallio, Henri Sigfridsson, and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Väinö began studying at the Young Piano Academy in the spring of 2023.
Väinö has been awarded at the PianoAura competition in 2019 and 2023. He also participated in the Canadian Young Pianist Festival in 2021, the Madetoja Piano Competition in 2022, and the Tapiola Competition in 2023. Väinö was awarded a gold medal at the Northern Lights Piano Competition in 2024. He has performed in Finland, as well as in Estonia and the USA, in Maine, in connection with the Hanna Powell Memorial Piano Competition. Väinö has completed his basic music studies at the Turku Conservatory. In the fall of 2024, he will begin a vocational qualification in music at the Turku Conservatory alongside his high school studies.
(Photo © Ville Lehvonen)