2008 in Scandinavian music

Events

• 1 January – Making her début as a concert pianist, German violinist Julia Fischer chooses Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany.
• 14 March – Norwegian guitarist Mads Berven is awarded the Vossajazzprisen 2008 at the Vossajazz festival.
• 20 May – On finally leaving Viking metal band Stratovarius after 20 years, Norwegian lead vocalist and band founder Timo Tolkki agrees to sign over his right to use the band's name, giving other members the option to continue without him.
• 11 September – Christian Älvestam leaves the band Scar Symmetry and begins a solo career.
• 18 September – Peter Wichers returns to Swedish band Soilwork, replacing Daniel Antonsson.
• 7 October – The Spotify on-demand music streaming service is launched in Sweden, where it was founded two years earlier.
• 9 October – Singer Denny Axelsson leaves Swedish band The Blinded.
• November – Norwegian black metal vocalist Gaahl reveals that he is gay, in an interview with the magazine Rock Hard.
• unknown date – Stefan Klaverdal wins first prize at the International Competition for Electroacoustic Music in Bourges, for his score for the film SIDA 33.

Classical works

• Kalevi Aho –Minea. Concertante Music for Orchestra
• Bo Holten – The Visit of the Royal Physician, published

Albums released

August

Deaths

• 10 February – Inga Nielsen, Danish operatic soprano
• 15 March – Fredrik Friis, Norwegian composer, singer, and lyricist
• 16 March – Ola Brunkert, Swedish drummer, session drummer for ABBA
• 19 March – Eivind Solberg, Norwegian jazz trumpeter
• 30 March – Anders Göthberg, Swedish guitarist
• 3 July – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and singer
• 18 July – Tauno Marttinen, Finnish composer
• 25 August – Pehr Henrik Nordgren, Finnish composer
• 6 October – Paavo Haavikko, Finnish poet and librettist
• 26 November – Pekka Pohjola, Finnish multi-instrumentalist and composer