Events

• September 12 – Australian radio station ABC Classic FM reveals the results of its Classic 100 Symphony poll. The winner is Dvořák's Symphony no. 9 – From the New World.
• October – With the release of his new album Nightbook, Ludovico Einaudi takes a new direction, incorporating synthesized sounds alongside his solo piano playing.^[1]

New works

• John Adams – String Quartet No. 2
• Thomas Adès – Lieux Retrouvés, for cello and piano
• Kalevi Aho – Hommage á Schubert, string quintet
• Richard Barrett – Mesopotamia for 17 instruments and electronics
• Harrison Birtwistle – The Corridor, scena for two singers and ensemble
• John Brunning – Sahara, for guitar
• Elliott Carter
  • Duettino, for violin and cello
  • Figment V, for marimba
• Ludovico Einaudi – Nightbook
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • Op.111 – Bagatella su Beethoven, for piano solo
  • Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2
  • Fantasy Suite No. 2, for violin and orchestra
  • Three Simple Songs, for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello and piano
  • Tourists and Oracles, for eleven instruments and piano four-hands
• Francesco Filidei – Ogni gesto d'amore, for violoncello and orchestra
• Howard Goodall – Enchanted Voices
• Philip Glass
  • Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, No. 2, "The American Four Seasons", premiere in December
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano
  • String Sextet
• Sofia Gubaidulina – Fachwerk, for bayan, percussion and string orchestra
• Mehdi Hosseini
  • Baluch, for alto flute, contrabassoon, horn, xylophone, violin and cello
  • Peshtpa, for oboe, bass clarinet and violoncello
• Magnus Lindberg – Graffiti, for chorus and orchestra
• Frederik Magle – Symphonic suite Cantabile, premiere June 10 in Koncerthuset, Copenhagen
• Christopher Rouse – Odna Zhizn
• David Sawer – Rumpelstiltskin
• Steven Stucky – Dust Devil, for solo marimba
• John Tavener
  • Tu ne sais pas, for mezzo-soprano, timpani and stings
  • The Peace that Passeth Understanding, for choir
• Mark-Anthony Turnage – Five Processionals, for clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Opera premieres

Operas which premiered in 2009 include:

• Kepler by Philip Glass, September 20, Landesthater Linz, Austria
• Aquarius by Karel Goeyvaerts, June 9, Antwerp
• The Letter by Paul Moravec, July 25, Santa Fe Opera
• Sparkie: Cage and Beyond by Michael Nyman, with Carsten Nicolai
• Brief Encounter by André Previn, May 1, Houston Grand Opera
• The Lunch Box by Thanapoom Sirichang, March 26, Hobart, Tasmania
• Prima Donna by Rufus Wainwright, July, Palace Theatre, Manchester

Albums

• Nicola Benedetti – Fantasie
• Bradley Joseph – Suites & Sweets
• Julian Lloyd Webber – Romantic Cello Concertos
• Hayley Westenra – Winter Magic

Musical films

• La Danse
• Mao's Last Dancer
• Pianomania
• The Soloist

Deaths

• January 13 – Mansour Rahbani, 83, Lebanese composer
• January 14 – Angela Morley, 84, English conductor and composer
• January 15 – Veronica Dudarova, 92, Russian symphony conductor
• January 23 – George Perle, 93, American composer and theorist
• January 31 – Erland von Koch, 98, Swedish composer
• February 1 – Lukas Foss, 86, American pianist, conductor and composer
• February 24
  • Svatopluk Havelka, 83, Czech composer
  • Pearl Lang, 87, American dancer and choreographer
• March 29 – Maurice Jarre, 84, French composer
• April 10 – Richard Arnell, 91, English composer
• June 22 – Betty Allen, 82, American mezzo-soprano
• July 16 – D. K. Pattammal, 90, Indian classical singer
• July 27– George Russell, 86, American composer
• August 18 – Hildegard Behrens, 72, German opera singer
• September 1 – Erich Kunzel, 74, American conductor
• September 17 – Leon Kirchner, 90, American composer
• September 25 – Alicia de Larrocha, 86, Spanish pianist and composer
• October 12 – Ian Wallace, 90, British singer

Major awards

Classical Brits

• Male of the Year — Gustavo Dudamel
• Female of the Year — Alison Balsom
• Composer of the Year — Howard Goodall
• Young British Classical Performer — Alina Ibragimova
• Album of the Year — Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Spirit of the Glen–Journey
• Soundtrack of the Year — The Dark Knight — Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
• Critics' Award — Sir Charles Mackerras/Scottish Chamber Orchestra — Mozart Symphonies nos. 38–41
• Lifetime Achievement In Music — José Carreras

Grammy Awards

• See 51st Grammy Awards