The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2009.
Events
- 13 January â Swedish band Lord Belial cancel all planned activities after their drummer, Micke Backelin, develops a hearing problem.
- 17 January â Copenhagen's new concert hall, Koncerthuset, is officially opened by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
- 23 January â Mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland is awarded the Nordlysprisen 2009 at Nordlysfestivalen.
- 31 January â 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 â Lead vocalist Petri Lindroos leaves Finnish band Norther, to be replaced by Aleksi Sihvonen.
- 5 February â Swedish band Steel Attack announce that guitarist Simon Johansson is leaving.
- 8 February â At the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, the award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra) goes to Hilary Hahn with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
- 23 February â Iceland's ÃÂlafur Arnalds and the Faroes' Janus Rasmussen announce the recording debut of their new duo, Kiasmos.
- March â Norwegian musician Varg Vikernes is released from prison on parole after 16 years served for the murder of another musician, ÃÂystein Aarseth (aka Euronymous).
- 30 March â Vocalist Roland Johansson announces he is leaving Swedish band Sonic Syndicate. He is later replaced by Nathan James Biggs.
- 15 May â Hrafna Hanna ElÃÂsa Herbertsdóttir wins the fourth series of Idol stjörnuleit, Iceland's version of Pop Idols.
- 16 May â Belarus-born Alexander Rybak wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow for Norway with the song "Fairytale".
- 10 June â 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 â The Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordnorsk Opera og Symfoniorkester, is founded in Tromsø.
- 25 July â Masterplan announce that Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande has returned to the band.
- 2 November â Hymn to Life â Entr'acte, the autobiography of former Stratovarius member Timo Tolkki, is published through Goldenworks Ltd./Blacksmith Ltd.
- 11 November â Mikkel Sandager, Morten Sandager and Mike Park announce that they are leaving Danish band Mercenary.
- 11 December â 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 â Per Eriksson and Niklas Sandin join Katatonia after the Norrman brothers leave the band.
New works
Film scores and incidental music
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
- 8 January â Björn Haugan, 66, Swedish-born Norwegian operatic tenor (born 1942).
- 31 January â Erland von Koch, 98, Swedish composer
- 10 February â Eva Gustavson, 91, Norwegian operatic contralto
- 18 February â Miika Tenkula, 34, rock guitarist and songwriter (heart attack)
- 3 March â Flemming Flindt, 72, Danish choreographer
- 11 March â Lars Erstrand, Swedish vibraphonist
- 26 March â Arne Bendiksen, 82, Norway's "father of pop"
- 11 April â Gerda Gilboe, 94, Danish actress and singer
- 1 May â Torstein Grythe, 90, Norwegian choirmaster
- 21 July â Marcel Jacob, 45, Swedish rock musician (suicide)
- 20 November â Elisabeth Söderström, 82, Swedish singer
- 21 November â Gerhard Aspheim, 79, Norwegian trombonist
References