Sebastian Benkenstein (b. 2009) was born in Finland into a Hungarian family of musicians. Surrounded by music from an early age, his passion for the piano developed naturally in a family where music was an integral part of everyday life. He began playing the piano at the age of four under the guidance of his grandparents, later continuing his studies at the Sipoo and East Helsinki Music Institutes with teachers Kristiina Junttu and Laura Attila. In 2018, he participated in the Chopin Event in Helsinki and performed on several occasions at school concerts.
While living in Hungary for several years, Sebastian continued his studies at the Vác Music School under Eszter Hámori, and studied in masterclass settings with his uncle, pianist Gergely Bogányi. During this period, he participated in several piano competitions — including the Ferenc Farkas Piano Competition (2021), the Béla Bartók Piano Competition (2022), and the Budapest Chopin Piano Competition (2023) — receiving awards in all of them.
After returning to Finland and settling in Forssa, he continued his studies at the Lounais-Häme Music Institute with Maria Orzech. In 2025, he participated in the Madetoja Piano Competition in Oulu, which marked an important step in his pianistic development.
Since autumn 2025, Sebastian Benkenstein has been studying at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest under the tutelage of Marcell Molnár. He was selected as a student of the Youth Piano Academy Finland in autumn 2025.