- 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
