Sanna Vaarni began her studies at the Espoo Music Institute with Katarina Nummi-Kuisma. She then studied piano at the Sibelius Academy with Eero Heinonen and chamber music with Ralf Gothóni. A recipient of a scholarship from the Wihuri Foundation, she studied piano in Paris with Konstantin Bogino from 1997 to 1999.
Sanna Vaarni has been awarded in many national piano competitions (Ilmari Hannikainen Piano Competition, Helmi Vesa Piano Competition, Fazer Piano Competition). She regularly performs as a soloist, in chamber music, and in lieder recitals. She has given concerts in Japan, Italy, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, and Saudi Arabia. She has also recorded for Finnish National Radio (YLE).
Sanna Vaarni is a tenured piano teacher at the Espoo Music Institute, where she also serves as Head of the Piano Department. In recent years, she has held masterclasses in music institutes and conservatories in Finland, China (Central Conservatory of Beijing, Ningbo International Institute), Japan, and across Europe.
She works regularly as an assistant to Konstantin Bogino at the International Music Academy of Rome.
Vaarni has also given a lecture for piano teachers at the Department of Continuing Education at the Sibelius Academy.
Her students have been prize winners in national and international competitions for young pianists.
Her students have also performed at music festivals such as the Espoo International Piano Festival and the Shanghai Arts Festival.
In February 2019, she was invited to give a demonstration of her teaching method at the National Piano Conference organized in Finland by the Finnish section of EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association).
In 2020, due to her recognized teaching expertise, she was invited to the Guitar Pedagogy Conference at the Sibelius Academy, where she gave a lecture on issues in instrumental and music pedagogy: Reflections on Teaching for All Instruments.
In 2018, Sanna Vaarni recorded a CD titled In the Mists, dedicated to the piano music of Leoš Janáček, at Järvenpää-Talo in Finland, released by Ema Vinci. The CD received enthusiastic reviews from critics and was featured on Finnish National Radio (YLE), Vatican Radio, and RAI-Radio Tre.
In 2022, her CD Illustrazioni (Stradivarius Music Label) was released, dedicated to 20th-century Italian music (Dallapiccola, Rota, Scelsi, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Malipiero). Illustrazioni received excellent reviews (Fanfare, American Record Guide, Classic Today, Klassik Heute, Music Web International…).
In 2024, her third CD Les yeux clos – Takemitsu & Messiaen (Stradivarius Music Label) was released. This CD also received many excellent reviews (PianoNews, Amadeus (Amadeus d’Oro), Click Magazine, Pizzicato…).
In 2025, a CD dedicated to the music of Berio and Schubert will be released.