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New York City is a vibrant hub for music, film, dance and visual art. The city’s cultural and ethnic diversity has long influenced its music and dance heritage, with jazz, rock, hip-hop, salsa, and other styles thriving in all five boroughs. New York City is also home to many musical conservatories and landmarks, such as the Metropolitan Opera House and Carnegie Hall.
Jazz originated in the African American community during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Traveling musicians spread jazz from Southern cities such as New Orleans throughout the US. In New York City, jazz found a home in the clubs and speakeasies of the Prohibition period.
JAZZ Celebrate the Century: 1920s
MEDIUM Paper, gouache, graphite
ILLUSTRATOR Meltzer Davis (b. 1930)
ART DIRECTOR Carl Herrman
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE May 28, 1998
Tito Puente was an award-winning performer, arranger, composer and conductor. Popularly known as “El Rey” (The King), Puente bridged Afro-Caribbean musical styles and orchestral jazz. Raised in Spanish Harlem, he recorded more than 140 albums over a career that spanned more than 60 years.
TITO PUENTE Latin Music Legends Issue
MEDIUM particleboard, acrylic
ILLUSTRATOR Rafael Lopez (b. 1961)
ART DIRECTOR Ethel Kessler
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 16, 2011
Arturo Toscanini, an acclaimed classical musician, served as guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic from 1926 to 1936. Then, in 1937, at age 70, he took charge of the NBC Symphony, an orchestra created by the National Broadcasting Company. Toscanini led this orchestra for 17 years until his retirement in 1954.
ARTURO TOSCANINI Performing Arts Series
MEDIUM paper, acrylic, colored pencil
ILLUSTRATOR Jim Sharpe (1936-2005)
ART DIRECTOR Jack Williams
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE March 25, 1989
Merengue is a music and dance style brought to New York City night clubs by immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Regarded as the national dance and music of the Dominican Republic, merengue incorporates elements of European and African styles.
MERENGUE Let’s Dance Issue
MEDIUM particleboard, acrylic
ILLUSTRATOR Rafael Lopez (b. 1961)
ART DIRECTOR Ethel Kessler
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE September 17, 2005
Ethel Merman starred in some of Broadway’s most popular plays, such as Girl Crazy, Anything Goes, and Annie Get your Gun. With her powerhouse voice, Merman, who was born and raised in New York City, made “There’s No Business like Show Business” her signature song.
ETHEL MERMAN Legends of American Music Series
MEDIUM Paper, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil
ILLUSTRATOR Chris F. Payne (b. 1956)
ART DIRECTOR Howard Paine
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE September 1, 1991
