Mikael Kemppainen studied piano at the Sibelius Academy, first with Minna Pölonen and then with Professor Liisa Pohjola, chamber music with Ralf Gothóni and lied music with Ilmo Ranta and Hartmut Höll.

Kemppainen has been successful in several piano and chamber music competitions. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras and at festivals such as the Naantali Music Festival, Helsinki Festival, Turku Music Festival, Espoo Piano Festival, Kuhmo Chamber Music and the Berlin PianoForum concert series. He has also made radio recordings for Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE.

Kemppainen works as a lecturer of accompaniment at the Turku Conservatory and is a frequent pianist at various masterclasses and competitions. As a versatile keyboard player, he also regularly performs as an orchestral musician.