[1] Nygaard Riisnæs was born in Sandefjord.
She studied piano in Oslo with pianists Dagmar Walle-Hansen and Nils Larsen, and in Stockholm with the great Russian pianist Simon Barrere.
She debuted in 1939 and played the year after with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1949 she toured the United States with among others Kari Frisell.
In Norway she had extensive concert collaboration with NRK.