An agreement for a concert tour by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra throughout tho Soviet Union in November was signed today in Moscow by the orchestra’s director, Itzhak Heftel, and the Soviet official concert agency.
The agreement also provides for a Soviet orchestra to make a tour of Israel starting in November. The director also signed agreements today providing for concerts in Israel by such noted Soviet artists as violinist David Oistrakh and pianist S. Richter.
The agreement for the Philharmonic tour of the USSR is the second to be signed. The first one was signed in May and then a cable was received here from Moscow asking for an indefinite postponement of the tour because of “technical difficulties.” It was then generally believed here that the Soviets had gone through one of their frequent policy switches. Israel Orchestra officials now believe that Soviet bureaucracy, rather than a change of policy, was responsible.
The agreement signed today provides for 17 concerts by the Israel Orchestra during a three-week visit, starting November 12. One of the concerts will have as a soloist Mr. Oistrakh, who has visited Israel and performed with the orchestra.
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