The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic 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(s) Performance (With Orchestra) 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 (aka Euronymous). 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 (Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra: Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Chamber Orchestra [2 Horns, 2 Oboes und Strings]) Ilkka Kuusisto – Taipaleenjoki Magnus Lindberg – Graffiti, for chorus and orchestra Frederik Magle – Symphonic suite Cantabile Einojuhani Rautavaara – Towards the Horizon (second cello concerto) Esa-Pekka Salonen – Violin Concerto Marie Samuelsson – Sjörök under Stockholms broar (Sea smoke under Stockholms bridges), for string quartet
Film scores and incidental music Kristian Eidnes Andersen – Antichrist Jacob Groth – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Albums released January DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.23 Sirenia The 13th Floor Nuclear Blast Records Partly recorded in the US 30 Deathstars Night Electric Night Nuclear Blast
February DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.3 This Ending Dead Harvest Metal Blade 25 Syster Sol Dömd att bli bedömd Rudeboy Records 27 Arch Enemy Manifesto of Arch Enemy Century Media Records Compilation album
March DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.11 Nightwish Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places) Spinefarm, Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast Live album Nightwish-Shop 31 March 2009 (US) Dark the Suns All Ends in Silence Firebox Records
April DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.9 Beherit Engram Spinefarm Records 15 Ajattara Noitumaa Ranka Recordings 21 Bloodbound Tabula Rasa Blistering Records 27 Unanimated In the Light of Darkness Regain Records First album after a ten-year break
May DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.6 Amoral Show Your Colors Spinefarm First album with Ari Koivunen 13 Amberian Dawn The Clouds of Northland Thunder KHY Suomen Musiikki 29 Alexander Rybak Fairytales EMI Debut album
June DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.16 Madder Mortem Eight Ways Peaceville Records 24 Elias Viljanen Fire-Hearted Spinefarm Records
July DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.29 Pantheon I Worlds I Create Candlelight Records
August DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.28 Jorn Dukebox AFM Records Compilation of tracks from Jørn Lande's solo albums
September DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.7 Solveig Slettahjell & Slow Motion Orchestra Tarpan Seasons Universal Music Group 22 Children of Bodom Skeletons in the Closet Spinefarm Records Compilation album 25 Basshunter Bass Generation Warner Music Sweden
October DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.2 Scar Symmetry Dark Matter Dimensions Nuclear Blast First album without Christian Älvestam 14 Decadence Chargepoint Universal Waltari Below Zero Stay Heavy Records 12 Tord Gustavsen Ensemble Restored, Returned ECM Records Featuring Kristin Asbjørnsen, Tore Brunborg, Mats Eilertsen and Jarle Vespestad
November DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.2 Katatonia Night Is the New Day Peaceville Records
December DayAlbumArtistLabelNotesRef.9 Yngwie Malmsteen High Impact Rising Force Records Compilation album
Deaths 8 January – Björn Haugan, 66, Swedish-born Norwegian operatic tenor (born 1942).Norwegian Opera Singer Björn Haugan Dies (ILGCN) 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 (heart attack) 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 (suicide) 20 November – Elisabeth Söderström, 82, Swedish singer 21 November – Gerhard Aspheim, 79, Norwegian trombonist
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