2023 in Scandinavian music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Scandinavian music in 2023. (Go to last year in Scandinavian music or next year in Scandinavian music.)

Events

 * 13 January – Rolling Stone lists Björk as the 64th-greatest singer and the 81st-greatest songwriter of all time.
 * 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.

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 – Superposition
 * Peter 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, 83
 * 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, 85
 * 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 – Pedro Hietanen, Finnish musician and conductor, 74
 * 20 December – Torben Ulrich, Danish polymath, 95