Her Japanese mother had studied piano in Tokyo; her father was a German civil engineer.

At age five, she reached the final stage of the youth competition in Munich, playing to a full house in the Hercules Hall.

[3] In 2002, Ott was the youngest finalist at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, where she won the Most Promising Artist award.

[4][5] From the age of twelve, she studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling[4] while continuing her school education in Munich.

[7] Ott has made recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and performs regularly in concert tours in Europe, Japan, and the United States.