80th birthday Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (alias Farrokh Bulsara) He would have turned 80 on June 5th. Sadly, this exceptional artist passed away on November 24, 1991. Rock in peace, Freddie.
Category: Music
Stamp of the Month: August 2026
The “Kölsch-dialect”-Band BAP
BAP, the Kölsch-rock band led by singer-songwriter Wolfgang Niedecken, has been one of Germany’s most successful musical acts for decades. Although all their songs are performed in the local dialect, the band enjoys immense popularity far beyond the boundaries of the Kölsch-speaking region, filling concert halls across Germany and boasting loyal fanbases elsewhere in the world. The album “aff un zo” (now and then) was released in 2001. It features an image of a “So-da-Brücke” (a bridge built “just for the sake of it”) near Euskirchen; constructed in the 1970s but never put into service, it has stood as a bridge fragment, lost in the landscape, ever since. I think bands singing in local dialect appearing on postage stamps is a real rarity!
In Memoriam: Dolly Parton
Since the 1970s, she was one of the most successful country and pop singer-songwriters. She scored 25 number-one hits, and more than 50 of her songs reached the top 10 on the US charts. She sold over 100 million albums, won ten Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As a songwriter, she held the copyrights to over 3,000 songs she had written herself.On August 25, 2026, the American country singer, songwriter, and actress Dolly Rebecca Parton died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 80.
Dolly Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee. Growing up in a very musical family, her talent was discovered and nurtured at an early age. She learned to play the guitar at the age of seven. Three years later, she made her first public appearance on a TV show. 
The video shows Dolly Parton at one of her shows in 1988. “Jolene” is one of her best-known and most successful songs.
Stamp of the Month: August 2026
Souillac en Jazz
In some small towns, summer begins not with a vacation, but with the first notes of a saxophone echoing across streets still warm from the July sun. In Souillac, in the Lot region of France, jazz has been an integral part of local life for fifty years. Its sound reverberates amidst the ancient stonework, the lively outdoor terraces, and the walls of the Abbey of Sainte-Marie. The commemorative stamp issued for the anniversary on July 20, 2026, colorfully brings together the theme of jazz, a musician, an instrument, and a performance venue.
Stamp of the Month: July 2026
Iireland 18.06.2026
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.
Stamp of the Month: May 2026
Music from Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein 1.6.2026
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.
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.
Stamp of the Month: April 2026
75 years of the Concours Reine Elisabeth
Belgium 15.3.2026
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 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.
PREMIO PHILATEA 2026
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.
Congratulations on this achievement !
Here you can find the award-winning exhibit.
Stamp of the Month: March 2026
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.
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
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.
Stamp of the Month: February 2026
USA 10.9.1997
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.”
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.”
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.