Show Me! Music / Musicians/ Instruments

A stringed instrument is shown on the 60c value (S.G. #1028) of Singapore's January 1, 2000, 2nd issue New Millennium set of four stamps. The chin rest indicates that either a violin, or a viola is depicted.

Turkey
EUROPA - National Musical Instruments
March 9, 2014
The stamp set shows kabak kemane and oud.

Brazil
Chorinho Music in Brazil
April 23, 2020
The stamp set features instruments for chorinho music: transverse flute, mandolin, seven-string guitar, cavaquinho, and clarinet.

On August 27, 1985 the DDR issued its annual set of two Leipzig Fall Fair Stamps. The 25 pf stamp (Mi. #2964) from this set features a trumpet and the inscription "Bach Trumpet J. Scherzer". The inscription refers to the trumpet making company founded in 1900 by Scherzer's uncle, Kurt Knoth. Johannes Scherzer took over the company after Knoth's death, and in 1984 it became an East German state-owned enterprise. Today, the company is part of Buffet Crampon Deutschland GmbH.

Italy's 1998 set of two EUROPA stamps feature the theme of National Festivals. The 800 lira value (Sc #2198) publicizes the Umbria Jazz Festival. Three million of the sets were issued (Michel).

On February 17, 1986 Greece issued a set of 24 stamps showing the Greek gods of antiquity. There are 12 values issued in both sheets and coil format. This 110 drachma coil stamp (Sc #1553a) from the set depicts Apollo, the greatest master of the lyre with his instrument. In Greek mythology, it was Apollo who taught Orpheus to play the lyre.

From wikipedia, "The lyre of classical antiquity was ordinarily played by being strummed with a plectrum (pick), like a guitar or zither, rather than being plucked with the fingers as with a harp. The fingers of the free hand silenced the unwanted strings of the chord."

Page 15 of this thread includes a 1985 Greek EUROPA stamp showing Apollo with his lyre.

This May 6, 1985, 60 escudo EUROPA issue (SC #101) of the Madeira Islands (Portugal) shows a man playing a four-stringed instrument called a braguinha.

From wikipedia, "The machete is a steel-string version of the cavaquinho from Madeira. It is a predecessor of the modern ukulele. The 'machete de Braga' (Braga-style machete) is called a braguinha."

On March 24, 1984 Canada issued this stamp (Sc #1010) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

Four musicians are shown on the 50c value (SG #760) of Singapore's May 18, 1994 Festival of Arts set of four stamps.

On August 27, 1987 Ireland issued an "Irish Festivals" set of four stamps to publicize popular cultural events throughout the country. The 24 p value (Hib #C467) of this set depicts the Ennis (County Clare) Street Arts Festival, an annual event held during the first week of July.

This Greek 4 drachma stamp (Sc #1162) of December 15, 1975 shows an image from an ancient amphora. Depicted is a man playing a cithern.

From biblicalcyclopedia.com, "(cithern, cithara, or guitar), a musical instrument most probably of Greek origin, employed by the Chaldeans at balls and routs, and introduced by the Hebrews into Palestine on their return thither after a Babylonian captivity. The cithern was of the guitar species, and was known at a later period as the 'cittern', under which name it is mentioned by the old dramatists as having constituted part of the furniture of a barber's shop. Of the same species is the 'cither' or 'zither' of southern Germany, the Tyrol and Switzerland."

This nicely engraved, March 28, 1967 stamp (Mi #1236) of Austria commemorates the 125th anniversary of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. A violin, an olive branch, and an organ are shown on the stamp.

This 2012 stamp of private courier Maz Mail GmbH of Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany commemorates the 300th birth anniversary of Frederick II/Frederick the Great of Prussia. A flute is shown on the stamp.

On page 21 of this thread, Frederick II is depicted playing the flute on a 1986 stamp of Berlin.

Dominican Republic
Traditional Merengue
November 26, 2014
Set of eight, two stamps show accordion and tambora.

During 1997 Ireland issued a four-part series of stamps to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Irish State. Part 2 of this series, featuring four stamps, was issued on April 3. It highlights Irish arts, and includes this 32 p stamp (Hib. #795) depicting a singer, a violinist, and a man playing a Celtic bodhran.