In Saturday’s (9/25) New York Times, Daniel J. Wakin writes, “The Republic of Georgia canceled an invitation to the New York Philharmonic just weeks before it was to visit, the Philharmonic said on Friday. The called-off performances will cost the orchestra hundreds of thousands of dollars … In a letter dated Sept. 10, an official of the Georgian ministry of culture blamed ‘unexpected financial difficulties’ for the disinvitation. … ‘I’m apoplectic, and so is my board,’ [Philharmonic Executive Director Zarin] Mehta said. ‘I think this virtually last-minute cancellation, from a sovereign government, citing unexpected financial difficulties, is irresponsible and totally unprofessional. This is one month away.’ … The Philharmonic was scheduled to perform on Oct. 21 at the Djansug Kakhidze Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture in Tbilisi, the capital city, and the next day at Batumi, a government showcase resort on the Black Sea near the Turkish border. The dates were added before a European tour through Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Germany, France and Luxembourg, ending on Nov. 4.”
Posted September 27, 2010
