Marcus Viana belongs to an extremely musical family. His father, Sebastiao Viana, a well-known conductor, was assistant to the Brazilian composer Villa Lobos. His home environment did not mean technical musical instruction; his first attempt at formal piano training (ten years old) was not successful. However, when he was 13 he started taking classes with Hungarian teacher Gabor Buza, a disciple of Carl Flesh, a great master of violin didactics. He continued his studies at the university until he was 25. From 1972 to 1973, he lived in Pennsylvania (U.S.A.), where he joined the local orchestra and started his first steps as a composer. Returning to Brazil, he started taking part in pop music festivals all over Minas Gerais, always winning first prize. Viana attended law school for three years when he decided to participate in a contest for the Symphony Orchestra of Minas Gerais, winning first place. He would remain there for seven years