President. today I am submitting a concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the Soviet Union should grant Vladimir Feltsman. the internationally acclaimed Soviet pianist. freedom to travel with his family in order to perform in the United States. Vladimir Feltsman enjoyed an enormously successful concert career and won many coveted awards in international competitions until May 1979. when he and his wife. Anna. applied to emigrate to Israel. Immediately. all his performances were canceled. his bestselling tapes and records were removed from the shelves of record stores. radio stations were forbidden to play his recordings or mention his name. and his travel permits were withdrawn. Hours before Mr. Feltsmans scheduled performance with the Moscow Philarmonic in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. he was warned not to attend and his name was blocked out of the posters that had widely advertised his appearance. Since that time. he has been denied the right to work and has been continually harassed by the Soviet authorities. Every 6 months he reapplies for permission to emigrate to Israel. and every 6 months he is refused. Meanwhile. his prodigious talent is going to waste. His only concert hall is the one room apartment that he shares with his wife and infant son.
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