The Robert Stolz Trophy for Music Philately
In 1972, Irene Lawford, the President of the Philatelic Music Circle (PMC) read in an American magazine that Robert Stolz had composed "The Philatelists' Waltz" and that he also was a philatelist. She wrote to him inviting him to join the Philatelich Music Circle. He did and they became great friends by correspondence.
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Robert Stolz, born in 1880, was a profilic Austrian composer of operettas, songs and film music,
as well as being a pianist and well-known conductor, especially of recordings of light music.
Robert Stolz died in 1975, just weeks before his 95th birthday. Since 1970, there have been many postal cancellations in his honour, and for the centenary of his birth in 1980, several countries issued stamps in his honour. |
| In 1979 Einzi Stolz, Robert's widow, wrote to Irene Lawford proposing to make an annual award, to be called "The Robert Stolz Trophy for Music Philately"; the first award to be made in 1980, in celebartion of the centenary of the composer's birth. The original idea was that it should be awarded to a member of the Philatelic Music Circle for a music philatelic competition. However, Irene Lawford suggested that, as the society already had several competitions for members, she might like to consider awarding the trophy to the designer of the 'best' stamp with a musical theme issued in the previous year. Einzi Stolz welcomed this idea, and thus was born the "Robert Stolz Trophy for Music Philately". |
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In celebration of the inaugual award of "The Robert Stolz Trophy for Music Philately"
the Philatelic Music Circle issued a special one-day hand cancellation.
The trophy was presented until 1997. In 2001 it was replaced by the new "Yehudi Menuhin Trophy" for the most popular music stamp. |