The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 2009 in Norwegian music.

Events

January

• 23
  • Nordlysfestivalen started in Tromsø (January 23 – 31).^[1]
  • Marianne Beate Kielland (mezzo-soprano) was awarded the Nordlysprisen 2009 at Nordlysfestivalen.^[2]

February

• 4 – The Polarjazz Festival 2009 started in Longyearbyen (February 4–8).^[3]
• 5 – Kristiansund Opera Festival opened (February 5 – 21).^[4]

March

• 10 – Varg Vikernes was released on parole having served almost 16 years of a 21 years (life) sentence for the murder of Mayhem guitarist Euronymous.^[5]
• 18
  • Vossajazz started in Voss (March 18–20).^[6]
  • Kjetil Møster was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2009.^[7]
• 19 – Solveig Slettahjell performs the commissioned work Tarpan Seasons for Vossajazz 2009.^[8]

April

• 22 – SoddJazz 2009 started in Inderøy, Nord-Trøndelag (April 22 – 26).^[9]
• 28 – Bergenfest 2009 started in Bergen (April 28 – May 3).^[10]

May

• 16 – Alexander Rybak won the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with his song "Fairytale" in Moscow, giving Norway its third victory. Within a couple of days, the song reaches the top ten in charts in most of Europe, including a No. 10 entry in the UK Singles Chart.
• 20
  • The start of Bergen International Music Festival Festspillene i Bergen 2009 (May 20 – June 4).^[11]
  • Nattjazz 2010 started in Bergen (May 26 – 30).^[12]

June

• 11 – Norwegian Wood 2009 started in Oslo, Norway (June 11 – 14).^[13]
• 18 – The Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordnorsk Opera og Symfoniorkester, was founded in Tromsø.^[14]

July

• 13 – Moldejazz started in Molde (July 13 – 18).^[15]

August

• 9 – Oslo Jazzfestival started (August 9 – 15).^[16]
• 12 – Sildajazz starts in Haugesund (August 12 – 16).^[17]

September

• 2 – The 5th Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand (September 2 – 5).^[18]
• 24 – The 6th Ekkofestival started in Bergen (September 24 – 26).^[19]

October

• 22 – The 8th Insomnia Festival started in Tromsø (October 22 – 24).^[20]

November

• 3 – The Oslo World Music Festival started in Oslo (November 3 – 8).^[21]
• 12 – The 4th Barents Jazz, Tromsø International Jazz Festival started (November 12 – 14).^[22]

December

• 11 – The Nobel Peace Prize Concert was held at Telenor Arena.^[23]

Albums released

January

February

March

April

• 16 – Remembrance by Ketil Bjørnstad (ECM Records)^[24]

May

June

July

August

September

October

• 12 – Restored, Returned by Tord Gustavsen Emsemble (ECM Records)^[25]

November

December

Unknown date

#

A

Deaths

January

• 8 – Björn Haugan, operatic lyric tenor (born 1942).^[26]

February

• 10 – Eva Gustavson, operatic contralto (born 1917).^[27]

March

• 5 – Bjørg Lødøen, painter, graphic artist, and composer (born 1931).^[28]
• 26 – Arne Bendiksen, singer, entertainer and record producer (born 1926).^[29]

May

• 1 – Torstein Grythe, founder and conductor of the Sølvguttene boys choir (born 1918).^[30]

August

• 4 – Ole A. Sørli, musician, writer, and record producer (born 1946).^[31]

November

• 6 – Kjell Bartholdsen, jazz saxophonist (stroke) (born 1938).^[32]
• 21 – Gerhard Aspheim, jazz trombonist (born 1930).^[33]