After making her début at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1901 as Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, she was engaged there until 1918 becoming the company's prima donna.

She performed leading roles in a wide range of operas but is remembered in particular for her Wagnerian interpretations, creating Brünnhilde in the Swedish premières of Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, and Isolde in 1909.

She completed her schooling in Christiania, and after initial voice training at the Christiana Conservatory under Ida Basilier-Magelssen,[4] she moved to Stockholm in 1894 where she was a pupil of John Forsell at the Royal College of Music.

[4] In 1898, she made her début in a concert performance before going on tour in Sweden with Oscar Lomberg [sv]'s opera company where her roles included Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore and Philine in Mignon by Ambroise Thomas.

[4] In 1901, Lykseth made her début at the Royal Swedish Opera as Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, followed by Marguerite in Gounod's Faust.