The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2023.
Events 13 January – Rolling Stone lists Björk as the 64th-greatest singer”200 Best Singers of All Time”. Rolling Stone. Published 1 January 2023. Accessed 9 September 2023. and the 81st-greatest songwriter of all time.”The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time”. Rolling Stone. Accessed 9 September 2023. 13 January – The world premiere of the Sinfonia concertante of Esa-Pekka Salonen takes place at the NOSPR Concert Hall in Katowice, Poland, inaugurating the hall's new organ, with Iveta Apkalna as the soloist and the NOSPR conducted by the composer. 11 February – Faroese singer Reiley wins the 53rd Dansk Melodi Grand Prix at Arena Næstved and becomes Denmark's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 25 February – Käärijä wins the 12th edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu to become Finland's entry for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song Cha Cha Cha. 4 March – In the final of Iceland's Söngvakeppnin, Diljá is selected to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. 12 March – Tax evasion charges against members of Icelandic band Sigur Rós are finally dismissed. 13 May – Sweden's Loreen becomes the first woman to win the Eurovision Song Contest twice, having previously won in 2012. Finland's Käärijä finishes in second place. 9 June – It is confirmed that Petr Popelka will end his contract as chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra after the 2022–2023 season. 22 September – Sweden's NorrlandsOperan confirms Eduardo Strausser as its next principal conductor and music director, effective from autumn 2024 for three seasons. 16 October – The Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra confirms Maxime Pascal as its next chief conductor, beginning in August 2024. October/November – Danish rock band Volbeat continue working on their ninth studio album, while lead vocalist Michael Poulsen undergoes throat surgery, which prevents the band from performing live shows in 2024.
Albums released January DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.13Omen X Turmion Kätilöt Nuclear Blast Records Neon Noir VV Heartagram Records/UMG/Spinefarm 204 (The Pink Album) Lukas Graham Warner Records Sky Void of Stars Katatonia Napalm Records Heroes of the Great War Sabaton Second in the “Echoes Of The Great War” EP trilogyAt the Heart of Wintervale Twilight Force Nuclear Blast27The Loss of All Hope Ablaze My Sorrow Black Lion Records EPAs in Gardens, So in Tombs ...And Oceans Season of MistCompositions Deathprod Smalltown Supersound
February DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.10Ad AstraAphyxionCircular WaveForegoneIn FlamesNuclear Blast First album featuring US guitarist Chris Broderick Out of the DarkWig WamFrontiers Music 17Dance Devil DanceAvatar Thirty TigersHeads Will RollOceanhoarse24Alttarimme on Luista TehtyAzaghalImmortal Frost ProductionsAnno 1696Insomnium Century Media Based on a short story by vocalist Niilo SevänenDouble DecadeMärvel The Sign Records Compilation album Storm the Void/Starving GraveNecrovation Blood Harvest EPAwake/AsleepSløtface EP
March DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.3 Heimdal Enslaved Nuclear Blast 10 Anesidora Isole Cyclone Empire Fandens Kall Tulus Soulseller Records 17 Ghost Town Narnia Janne Schaffer & Herr Allansson Band - Live! Janne Schaffer Live album24 Fascination Street Sessions IhsahnCandlelight RecordsEP Once Upon a Time Excalion Scarlet Records Hatred Reborn Hatesphere Scarlet Records Produced at Antfarm Studios Katharsis Keep of Kalessin Premiered on board The Freedom Of The Seas No Place Like Alone Xysma Svart Records First album for 25 years31 Screem Writers Guild LordiAtomic Fire RecordsFirst album on Atomic Fire ApocalypseRotten SoundSeason Of Mist
April DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.7 Hamartia Tribulation Century Media EP14 Black Medium Current Dødheimsgard Peaceville Records Hunt the Flame Magnus Karlsson's Free Fall Frontiers Music21 Death of Darkness The 69 Eyes Atomic Fire Records River of Diamonds Liv Kristine Metalville Records Tracks composed by Tommy Olsson It's Time to Rock the World Again Magnus Rosén Band X-World / Sound Pollution Includes 5 bonus tracks28 Always on my Mind Rebekka Bakken Sony Music Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind Runemagick Hammerheart Records Blómi Susanne SundførBella Union
May DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.5 Everything Destroys You Deathstars Nuclear Blast First album for eight years Nostalgia Enforcer Recorded at Hvergelmer Studios and produced by the band Fremmede Toner Lumsk Dark Essence Records 19 Phantomime Ghost Lorna Vista EP26 War Against AllImmortal Nuclear Blast KalmahKalmah Ranka Kustannus Outside the Rock BoxMagnus Rosén Band Mini-album 1977 Sirenia Napalm Records
June DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.2 Interference Anubis GateNo Dust Records Slasher Omnium Gatherum Century Media Records EP 9 Lullabies for Piano and CelloGabríel Ólafs Decca Records US The Singularity (Phase II – Xenotaph)Scar SymmetryFirst album for 9 years16 The Storm WithinSaturnus Nuclear Blast Produced by Flemming Rasmussen ÁttaSigur Rós BMG First album for ten years 23 Carry the BeastNocturnal Breed Darkish Essence Information BloodlinesPyramaze AFM Records HelvegrTsjuder Season of Mist 30 StormbringersBefore the Dawn
July DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.6 Du Måste Ta Ansvar Ansvaret NT Productions 7 Slugs of Love Little DragonNinja Tune Featuring Damon Albarn Tales from the North BloodboundAFM/Soulfood Concept album about Viking era 14 We Shall Remain Eleine Atomic Fire Records 21 The Age of the Offended Cadaver Nuclear Blast Records 27 Last of a Kind Panzerchrist Emanzipation Productions First album for ten years
August DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.11 The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons The Hives Disques Hives First album featuring bassist The Johan and Only Rocking Heels: Live at Metal Church Tarja earMUSIC Live album 18 The Vertigo Trigger Cyhra Nuclear Blast Self-produced and mixed by Euge Valovirta Ýdalir Skálmöld Napalm Here for None Warmen Reaper Entertainment Featuring Janne Wirman
September DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.1 Club Romantech Icona Pop TEN Music Group/Ultra Memento Mori Marduk Century Media Memorial Soen Silver Lining Music Et hav av avstandTaake Dark Essence Records All instruments played by Hoest 8 Ending Kvelertak Nuclear Blast 9Live in Studio 3Anna Mjöll 15 Grand Explosivos Electric BoysMighty Music Daemonic Rites Mayhem Century Media Live album Sunholy Shade Empire Candlelight Records Shining ShiningNapalm Record 22 Soundtrack to the End of Times Mercenary Featuring Matt Heafy
October DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.6 The Cancer Pledge October Tide Agonia Records 13 Queen of Time (Live at Tavastia 2021) Amorphis Atomic Fire Live album Heartbreakmiljonär Oscar Zia Sony Digital download20 Spine Myrkur Relapse Records27 Reign of the Reaper Sorcerer Metal Blade Records
November DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.3 Songs of the Dusk Insomnium Century Media Records EP Die in Fire – Live in Hell (Agony and Ecstasy Over Stockholm) Watain Nuclear Blast Live album recorded 7 October 202210 Dark Christmas Tarja Turunen earMUSIC Covers album 17 Philosopher Aeternus Agonia Records Recorded at Conclave & Earshot Studios Plague Corroded Despotz Records
December DayAlbumArtistLabelNotes Ref.8 Inspiratio Profanus Dimmu Borgir Nuclear Blast Records Covers album 12 Vandrar Gåte Independent label EP 15 A Chapter Called Children of Bodom (The Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019) Children of Bodom Spinefarm Live album Leviathan III Therion Napalm Records Trolldom Troll Polypus Records
Eurovision Song Contest Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
Classical works Anders Hillborg – Piano Concerto No. 2 (The MAX Concerto) Marcus Paus – The War Cross Esa-Pekka Salonen – Sinfonia concertante for organ and orchestra Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir Rituals (for string quartet) Ubique'''
Film and television music Pessi Levanto – SuperpositionPeter Peter, with Peter Kyed, Cliff Martinez and Julian Winding – Copenhagen Cowboy''
Deaths 9 January – Magnar Mangersnes, Norwegian organist and choral conductor, 84 15 January – Doris, Swedish pop singer, 75 28 January – Odd Børre, Norwegian Eurovision singer, 83Den tidligere artisten Odd Børre er død 23 February – Slim Borgudd, Swedish racing driver and drummer (Lea Riders Group), 76 8 March – Josua Madsen, Danish drummer, 45 (traffic accident) 1 April Dario Campeotto, Danish-Italian singer Eurovision singer and actor, 84 Jack Vreeswijk, Swedish singer, song lyricist and composer, 59 (colon cancer) 7 April – Lasse Wellander, Swedish guitarist (ABBA), 70 1 May – Pugh Rogefeldt, Swedish musician and songwriter, 76 14 May Garðar Cortes, Icelandic operatic tenor and opera director, founder of The Icelandic Opera, 82 Bernt Rosengren, Swedish jazz saxophonist, 85 20 May – Sven Nyhus, Norwegian folk musician, 90 2 June – Kaija Saariaho, Finnish composer, 70 4 July – Miki Liukkonen, Finnish writer and musician, 33 5 July – Ralph Lundsten, Swedish composer, 86 22 July – Knut Riisnæs, Norwegian jazz musician, 77 12 August – Berit Lindholm, Swedish operatic soprano, 88 15 August – Arnold Östman, Swedish conductor, 83 26 August – Bosse Broberg, Swedish jazz trumpeter and composer, 85Uppsalas jazzlegend Bosse Broberg är död 3 October – Harald Tusberg, Norwegian TV presenter, musician and songwriter, 88 19 October – Lasse Berghagen, Swedish singer-songwriter, 78 25 October – Hans Mosesson, Swedish actor, singer and songwriter, 79 19 November – Catherine Christer Hennix, Swedish polymath, 75 24 November – Jukka Haavisto, Finnish musician and music writer, 93 25 November – Yngvar Numme, Norwegian singer and actor, 79 6 December – , Finnish musician and conductor, 74Muusikko Pedro Hietanen on kuollut 20 December – Torben Ulrich, Danish polymath, 95
References