Overview of the events of 2009 in classical music
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 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 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 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