Every year, numerous new stamps are issued on the theme of music. The list of new issues published in the members-only-section of our website is updated several times per month.
03.06.2026 Poland / Germany / Austria / Liechtenstein / Brazil / United States / Fiji / Croatia
05.06.2026 Austria / Sri Lanka / Bulgaria
09.06.2026 Jersey / Canada
10.06.2026 Germany
16.06.2026 France / Lithuania / Bosnia and Herzegovina – Republika Srpska / Ireland
Every year, numerous new stamps are issued on the theme of music. The list of new issues published in the members-only-section of our website is updated several times per month.
12.4.26: Guinea
31.5.26: Central African Republic / Guinea / Sierra Leone / Togo
18.6.26: Central African Republic / Guinea
1.7.26: Chile / Djibouti / Ireland / Jersey / Serbia
8.7.26: Guernsey
12.7.26: Guinea
The Irish postal service, An Post, has unveiled a new commemorative stamp marking the 75th anniversary of *Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann*.This organization promotes traditional Irish culture—particularly music and dance—both in Ireland and around the world. The stamp was created by DesignWorks Ireland;Louise Nichols and Aoife Carroll were responsible for the design and illustration, according to Martin Gafney, who represented DesignWorks Ireland alongside Rocky Grennell.The design features a stylized fiddle reimagined as a mosaic of colors and textures, with each section symbolizing the diverse communities, traditions, and experiences brought together by *Comhaltas*. The nominal value on the date of issue was €1.85.
On June 1, 2026, Liechtenstein will issue a postage stamp entitled “Liader us der Oberteli,” which translates roughly as “Songs from the Attic.” This issue aims to draw attention to the country’s cultural heritage, particularly its traditional folk music and its preservation for future generations. The stamp is designed as a playable record. The focus of this issue is Josef “Pepi” Frommelt, a pioneer of Liechtenstein folk music research, who dedicated decades to collecting, documenting, and preserving traditional songs. His aim was not only to preserve the musical roots but also to make old songs accessible to a new audience.
This legacy is continued today by the Pepi Frommelt Foundation, established by his children.
The song featured on the stamp is called “S’isch egal” (It Doesn’t Matter). For a long time, the melody was thought to be a Liechtenstein folk song, until it was discovered that the original, titled “Du und i sind Brüederli,” was composed by the Swiss composer Werner Wehrli (1892-1944). This discovery underscores the cultural value of the collection: folk music thrives on exchange, transmission, and interpretation. In 1985, the song was recorded on a long-playing record for the first time, thus preserving it for future generations. The version on the stamp was recorded in 2023 by the Liechtenstein pop group PEPS with a contemporary pop and reggae feeling: Liechtenstein dialect in its current reality, in dialogue with the historical language of over 100 years ago.
Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie, Duchess in Bavaria, was born on July 25, 1876, in Possenhofen on Lake Starnberg. As the wife of Prince Albert of Belgium, she became Queen of Belgium upon his accession to the throne in 1909. Elisabeth was very musically gifted. She played the violin daily, studying under the composer and violinist Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931).
Eugène Ysaÿe conceived the idea for a competition for young musicians. After his death, Elisabeth took over the planning of the competition in 1931, which was first held in 1937 under the name “Concours Eugène Ysaÿe.” The first prize winner was David Oistrakh (1908–1974). After the Second World War, the competition was renamed “Concours Reine Elisabeth” in 1951. The competition, held under the patronage of the reigning Belgian queen, is today one of the most prestigious international music competitions. It takes place every four years, with the featured instrument category changing annually; since 2025, the order has been violin, piano, cello, and voice.
Belgium 15.9.1937
The current postage stamp commemorates not only the 75th anniversary of the Queen Elisabeth Competition but also the 150th anniversary of the Queen’s birth, who died in Brussels on November 23, 1965.
The video features Ukrainian violinist Dmytro Udovychenko (born 1999), winner of the 2024 competition, and the Belgian National Orchestra, conducted by Antony Hermus, performing Dmitri Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77.
Stamp collectors from all over the world are invited to vote for the most popular music stamp 2025. The designer of the winning stamp will be awarded the Yehudi-Menuhin-Trophy 2026 by Motivgruppe Musik, the International Philatelic Music Study Group.
The vote runs until July 31, 2026.
Among all participants a philatelic gift will be raffled.
The exhibit “The Ring of the Nibelung” by our Spanish member Luiz Arnaiz was awarded the PREMIO PHILATEA 2026 by the PHILATEA jury as the best exhibit.
The Belgian composer Peter Leonardus Benoit was born on August 17, 1834, in Harelbeke. He died on March 8, 1901, in Antwerp. March 2026 will mark the 125th anniversary of his death.
Peter Benoit studied at the Brussels Conservatory from 1851 to 1855. Even during his studies, he composed a number of works, including the opera “The Village in the Mountains” for the Théâtre Royal du Parc, where he became conductor after graduating. In 1857, Benoit was awarded the Belgian Prix de Rome for his cantata “Le Meurtre d’Abel.” The prize enabled him to undertake an extensive tour with extended stays in Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin, and Munich. In 1861, he became conductor of the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, founded by Jacques Offenbach.
Belgium 1.6.1934
In 1867, he was appointed director of the Flemish Music School (Vlaamsche Muziekschool) in Antwerp, where he further developed his idea of creating an independent Flemish musical language, untouched by foreign influences. Benoit is thus considered one of the first representatives of the European movement of musical nationalism. His compositional output consists primarily of stage works, cantatas, oratorios, and sacred music.
The video shows Belgian pianist Emmy Wils (*1994) performing Fantasy No. 3, Op. 18,
from a series of four piano works composed by Peter Benoit around 1860 in Paris.
The French-American coloratura
soprano Lily Pons (Alice Joséphine Pons) was born on April 12, 1898, in Draguignan, near Cannes. She died 50 years ago, on February 13, 1976, in Dallas, Texas.
Lily Pons initially studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire and won first prize at the age of 15. Encouraged by the soprano Dyna Beumer, she began her vocal studies in Paris and New York in 1925. She made her operatic debut in 1928 in Mulhouse in the title role of Léo Delibes’ opera “Lakmé,” famous for its “Bell Song.”
The Italian tenor and impresario Giovanni Zenatello discovered the singer during an opera performance in the French provinces and suggested her to the general director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York as the successor to coloratura soprano Amelita Galli-Curci. On January 3, 1931, Lily Pons made her unannounced but highly successful debut at the Met as Lucia in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.”
Lily Pons remained associated with the Metropolitan Opera from 1931 to 1960. During this time, she performed there almost 300 times in 10 different roles, primarily as Lucia and Lakmé, as Gilda in Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” and as Rosina in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.” She also appeared as a guest artist at many major opera houses, performed as a concert singer until 1973, and made numerous recordings. Since the 1950s, she had been a frequent guest on radio and television shows, where she presented popular music alongside the classical repertoire.
St. Vincent 5.11.1997
The video shows Lily Pons performing at Carnegie Hall in 1947
with the “Bell Aria” from the opera “Lakmé” by Léo Delibes.
