Leningrad Soloists’ Debut Delayed by a Soviet SNAFU, Composer Says

Tonight’s North American debut of the Soloists of Leningrad has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday at Symphony Hall.

Three musicians from the Soviet chamber orchestra, which is appearing in San Diego as part of the city’s Soviet arts festival, did not receive entry visas in time to leave the Soviet Union with the other 15 orchestra members, who finally arrived Monday evening.

According to officials of the San Diego Symphony, the organization sponsoring the Leningrad musicians, the remaining three musicians and two other members of the chamber orchestra’s entourage should arrive in this country Wednesday. The Soloists of Leningrad will also perform three joint concerts with the symphony Nov. 10-12.

According to Vladimir Tarnopolsky, the Soviet composer whose work “Brooklynsky Bridge” will receive its American premiere with the symphony Friday, one of the reasons he and other Soviet musicians had difficulty leaving their country was the presence of Soviet officials at the San Diego arts festival.

“Thirteen people from Ministry of Culture and Gosconcert (the Soviet Union’s primary music management) were sitting here as guests of the festival and vacationing instead of being there and helping people to get visas,” said Tarnopolsky. The 34-year-old Soviet composer arrived in San Diego Sunday, two days behind schedule because he experienced similar problems obtaining the necessary travel documents.

“Nobody there knew what to do--all key people had left.”