2009 in Scandinavian music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Scandinavian music in 2009.

Events

13 January – Swedish band Lord Belial cancel all planned activities after their drummer, Micke Backelin, develops a hearing problem.
17 January – Copenhagen's new concert hall, Koncerthuset, is officially opened by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
23 January – Mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland is awarded the Nordlysprisen 2009 at Nordlysfestivalen.
31 January – Niels Brinck wins the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2009, with "Believe Again", written by Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson and Ronan Keating. A new voting format is used for the competition.
1 February – Lead vocalist Petri Lindroos leaves Finnish band Norther, to be replaced by Aleksi Sihvonen.
5 February – Swedish band Steel Attack announce that guitarist Simon Johansson is leaving.
8 February – At the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, the award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance goes to Hilary Hahn with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
23 February – Iceland's Ólafur Arnalds and the Faroes' Janus Rasmussen announce the recording debut of their new duo, Kiasmos.
March – Norwegian musician Varg Vikernes is released from prison on parole after 16 years served for the murder of another musician, Øystein Aarseth.
30 March – Vocalist Roland Johansson announces he is leaving Swedish band Sonic Syndicate. He is later replaced by Nathan James Biggs.
15 May – Hrafna Hanna Elísa Herbertsdóttir wins the fourth series of Idol stjörnuleit, Iceland's version of Pop Idols.
16 May – Belarus-born Alexander Rybak wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow for Norway with the song "Fairytale".
10 June – The complete version of Frederik Magle's Cantabile is premièred at the Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, at a concert to celebrate the 75th birthday of Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, on whose poems the work was based.
18 June – The Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordnorsk Opera og Symfoniorkester, is founded in Tromsø.
25 July – Masterplan announce that Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande has returned to the band.
2 November – Hymn to Life – Entr'acte, the autobiography of former Stratovarius member Timo Tolkki, is published through Goldenworks Ltd./Blacksmith Ltd.
11 November – Mikkel Sandager, Morten Sandager and Mike Park announce that they are leaving Danish band Mercenary.
11 December – Performers at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo include Amadou & Mariam, Alexander Rybak, Donna Summer, Lang Lang and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.
22 December – Per Eriksson and Niklas Sandin join Katatonia after the Norrman brothers leave the band.

New works

Kalevi Aho – String Quintet Hommage à Schubert
Anders Eliasson – Concerto per violino, viola ed orchestra da camera: dubbelkonsert för violin, viola och kammarorkester
Ilkka Kuusisto – Taipaleenjoki
Magnus Lindberg – Graffiti, for chorus and orchestra
Frederik Magle – Symphonic suite Cantabile
Einojuhani Rautavaara – Towards the Horizon
Esa-Pekka Salonen – Violin Concerto
Marie Samuelsson – Sjörök under Stockholms broar '', for string quartet

Film scores and incidental music

Albums released

August

Deaths

8 January – Björn Haugan, 66, Swedish-born Norwegian operatic tenor.
31 January – Erland von Koch, 98, Swedish composer
10 February – Eva Gustavson, 91, Norwegian operatic contralto
18 February – Miika Tenkula, 34, rock guitarist and songwriter
3 March – Flemming Flindt, 72, Danish choreographer
11 March – Lars Erstrand, Swedish vibraphonist
26 March – Arne Bendiksen, 82, Norway's "father of pop"
11 April – Gerda Gilboe, 94, Danish actress and singer
1 May – Torstein Grythe, 90, Norwegian choirmaster
21 July – Marcel Jacob, 45, Swedish rock musician
20 November – Elisabeth Söderström, 82, Swedish singer
21 November – Gerhard Aspheim, 79, Norwegian trombonist