The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2011.
Events
26 January – Norway's inaugural Bodø Jazz Open opens in Bodø, running until 29 January. 28 January – Marit Sandvik receives the Nordlysprisen award, given to a contributor to the music of Northern Norway. 28 February – Swedish duo Roxette launches its 55-date "Charm School World Tour", part of "The Neverending World Tour" in Kazan, Russia, in front of 8,000 people. 6 April – It is reported that keyboardist Per Wiberg has left the band Opeth. 16 April – During Norway's Vossajazz festival: Mari Kvien Brunvoll receives the Vossajazzprisen for 2011. Mathias Eick performs the commissioned work Voss. 9 June – Rockland the Opera, an opera by Finland's Jukka Linkola, is premièred at the Nivala Ice Arena. 17 June The 28th Stockholm Jazz Festival opens in Stockholm, Sweden, lasting until 19 June Finnish singer Tarja Turunen performs with tenor José Cura at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. 22 July – The far-right terrorist attacks on civilians and government offices in Norway lead to the renewed popularity of Ole Paus's 1994 song, "Mitt lille land". 15 October – Olli Kortekangas's one-act opera Yhden yön juttu (One Night Stand), commissioned by the Sibelius Academy, is premièred at the Helsinki Music Centre 1 November – Norwegian TV station NRK broadcasts a 30-minute film in which musician Jørn Stubberud (aka Necrobutcher) undergoes an exorcism by US televangelist Bob Larson. December – Blood Red Throne take on Yngve "Bolt" Christiansen as their new vocalist, replacing Osvald "Vald" Egeland.
New works Kalevi Aho – Trumpet Concerto Per Nørgård – Symphony No. 8 Đuro Živković – On the Guarding of the Heart
Albums released January DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.7 Axenstar Aftermath IceWarrior Records 11 myGRAIN myGRAIN Spinefarm Records Stratovarius Elysium Victor Entertainment17 Desultory Counting Our Scars 21 Sirenia The Enigma of Life Nuclear Blast Records 26 Battlelore Doombound Napalm Records Concept album focusing on Túrin Turambar
February DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.2 Ajattara Murhat Osasto-A Records 4 Korpiklaani Ukon Wacka Nuclear Blast All tracks sung in Finnish 7 Sigbjørn Apeland Glossolalia Hubro Music Vreid V Indie Recordings 9 KYPCK Lower Indie Recordings 11 Roxette Charm School Roxette Recordings; Capitol First studio album since 2001 14 Lifelover Sjukdom Prophecy Productions The Project Hate Bleeding The New Apocalypse (Cum Victriciis In Manibus Armis) Mixed by Dan Swanö September Love CPR Catchy Tunes Digital release 15 Svartsyn Wrath Upon the Earth Agonia Records 18 Jenny Hval Viscera Rune Grammofon 21 Moonsorrow Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa Spinefarm Records 22 Evergrey Glorious Collision Steamhammer/SPV 23 Carl Norén Owls EMI Music Sweden First solo album Thomas Di Leva Hjärtat vinner alltid Universal Import 25 Before the Dawn Deathstar Rising Nuclear Blast Mercenary Metamorphosis NoiseArt Records One Man Army and the Undead Quartet The Dark Epic Thunderbolt Dung Idols 28 Mohombi MoveMeant 2101 Records Frederik Magle Like a Flame Proprius Music Recorded on the Frobenius pipe organ in Jørlunde church
March DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.1 Omnium Gatherum New World Shadows Lifeforce Records First album on new label 2 Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes Atlantic Records 7 Burzum Fallen Byelobog Productions Vocals and all instruments by Varg Vikernes 8 Children of Bodom Relentless Reckless Forever Spinefarm Records, Fearless Records and Nuclear Blast 9 Swingfly Awesomeness – An Introduction to Swingfly 11 Ole Mathisen, Per Mathisen and Paolo Vinaccia Elastics Losen Records Danny Saucedo In the Club Sony 15 Rotten Sound Cursed Relapse Records and Fullsteam Records Themed around "six curses of mankind" 18 Bloodbound Unholy Cross AFM Records Susanna Wallumrød Jeg Vil Hjem Til Menneskene Grappa Music Lyrics by Gunvor Hofmo 25 Divinefire Eye of the Storm Rivel Records Kampfar Mare Napalm Records Produced by Peter Tägtgren Vintersorg Jordpuls Napalm First of a planned 4-album concept series 29 Amon Amarth Surtur Rising Metal Blade, Sony Music
April DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.1 Illdisposed There Is Light (But It's Not For Me) Massacre Records Symfonia In Paradisum Avalon/Marquee Joint project led by Andre Matos and Timo Tolkki 13 Kikki Danielsson Första dagen på resten av mitt liv Sony Music Entertainment First solo album since 1993 Norther Circle Regenerated Century Media, Marquee Avalon, Spinefarm The band's final full-length album 15 Scar Symmetry The Unseen Empire Nuclear Blast 17 Adam Tensta Scared of the Dark EMI 19 Eva Eastwood Lyckost Border Music Leaves' Eyes Melusine Sonic Seducer magazine EP 22 Leaves' Eyes Meredead Napalm Records 25 Above Symmetry Ripples Re-issued after band name change Bloodbath Bloodbath over Bloodstock DVD Wolf Legions of Bastards Century Media Last album to feature Johannes Axeman Losbäck Yggdrasil Irrbloss Grand Master Music 26 Vomitory Opus Mortis VIII Metal Blade Records 27 Poisonblack Drive HYPE Records Ulver Wars of the Roses Jester Records, Kscope First album to feature Daniel O'Sullivan
May DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.6 Chrome Division Third Round Knockout Nuclear Blast 10 Enslaved The Sleeping Gods Losen Records EP 24 In the Country Sounds and Sights Rune Grammofon Live album30 Arch Enemy Khaos Legions Century Media
June DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.6 Timbuktu Sagolandet BuDada Records 15 In Flames Sounds of a Playground Fading Century Media First album without founder Jesper Strömblad Tore Johansen Nord Inner Ear with guest Odd Børretzen 29 Eric Saade Saade Vol. 1 Roxy Recordings
July DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.22 Communic The Bottom Deep Nuclear Blast 27 Svartsot Maledictus Eris Scarecrow Records Takida The Burning Heart Seven Records 31 Jostein Gulbrandsen Trio Release of Tension Self-released
August DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.5 Sabaton World War Live: Battle of the Baltic Sea Live album 19 Ghost Brigade Until Fear No Longer Defines Us Season of Mist Humcrush with Sidsel Endresen Ha! Rune Grammofon 23 Jørn Lande Live in Black Frontiers Records Live double album 24 Apostasy Nuclear Messiah
September DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.2 Mats Eilertsen SkyDive Hubro Music With SkyDive Trio13 Opeth Heritage Roadrunner Records Written and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt 17 Kjersti Stubø How High Is the Sky Bolage 23 Hedvig Mollestad Trio Shoot! Rune Gramoffon Ragnhild Hemsing Yr Simax Classics
October DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.11 Immortal Souls IV: The Requiem for the Art of Death Facedown Records 14 Stein Urheim and Mari Kvien Brunvoll Stein & Mari's Daydream Community Jazzland Recordings EP 28 Isole Born from Shadows Napalm Records
November DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.9 Elephant9 Live at the BBC Rune Grammofon Recorded in London, UK, November 2010 11 Alog Unemployed Rune Grammofon Siri Nilsen Alle Snakker Sant Grappa Music
December DayArtistAlbumLabelNotesRef.2 Bugge Wesseltoft Songs Jazzland Recordings Hildegunn Øiseth Stillness Losen Records unknown date Uno Svenningsson and Irma Schultz Keller December - En svensk jul Universal Music
Deaths 1 January – Flemming Jørgensen, Danish singer and actor, 63 (cardiac arrest) 17 January – Sjonni Brink, Icelandic singer-songwriter, 36 (stroke) 3 February – Eline Nygaard Riisnæs, Norwegian classical pianist and musicologist (born 1913). 6 February – Per Grundén, Swedish tenor, 88 24 February – Jens Winther, Danish jazz trumpeter, 50 (stroke) 2 March – Erling Kroner, Danish jazz trombonist, composer and bandleader 10 April – Børt-Erik Thoresen, television host and folk singer, 78 22 April – Eyvind Solås, classical pianist, composer, actor, and TV host, 73 24 April – Dag Stokke, Norwegian keyboardist TNT, church organist and mastering engineer, 44 (cancer) 31 May – Sølvi Wang, Norwegian pop and folk singer and actress, 81 4 June – Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish singer and composer, 58 (cancer) 18 June – Gustaf Kjellvander, Swedish singer-songwriter, 31, Dödsfall 24 July – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist, 71 (heart attack) 13 August Topi Sorsakoski, Finnish singer, 58 (lung cancer) Ellen Winther, Danish opera singer and actress, 78 4 September – Hilde Heltberg, Norwegian pop and folk singer songwriter, 51 (cancer). 8 October – Ingvar Wixell, Swedish operatic baritone, 80 11 October – Kim Brown, British-born Finnish rock musician, 66Muistot.hs.fi , Helsingin Sanomat, 11 October 2011 19 October – Lars Sjösten, Swedish jazz pianist and composer 2 November Arne "Papa" Bue Jensen, Danish trombonist and bandleader, 81 Sickan Carlsson, Swedish actress and singer, 96
References