Nilssen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (2003).[2] He was voted this year's young jazz musicians in 2006 with the group Puma. Otherwise Nilssen is very active in bands like Bushman´s Revenge, Lord Kelvin, and Heidi Skjerve Kvintett.[1]
Nilssen was chosen to represent Norway in the artist development program Take Five, a music developer program promoted by the London-based concert promoter Serious.[3]
This year's young jazz musicians 2006, with the band Puma by Rikskonsertene and Norsk Jazzforum