Väinö Viljanen (b. 2008) began playing the piano at the age of seven 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. He later continued his studies under Maria Männikkö. Currently, Väinö’s teachers include Männikkö and Roope Gröndahl.

Väinö has participated in numerous piano masterclasses taught by Matti Raekallio, Henri Sigfridsson, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, and others. Väinö began studying at the Young Pianists Academy in the spring of 2023. Väinö has been awarded prizes in the PianoAura competition in 2019 and 2023.

He has also participated in the Canadian Youth Piano 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. In 2025, he won the XIII National Leevi Madetoja Piano Competition in his age group. In addition to Finland, he has performed in Estonia and in Maine, USA, at the Hanna Powell Memorial Piano Competition. Väinö performed as a soloist with the Aura Sinfonia Orchestra in the spring of 2024.

Väinö has completed basic music studies at the Turku Conservatory. In the fall of 2024, he began studying for a professional musician’s degree at the Turku Conservatory alongside his high school studies.