The Republic of Georgia canceled an invitation to the New York Philharmonic just weeks before it was to visit, the Philharmonic said Friday. The called-off performances will cost the orchestra hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they add another setback to its efforts to be a world-traveling band. Just a year ago the Philharmonic backed out of an imminent trip to Cuba when the U.S. government barred its patrons -- who were financing the trip -- from going along. In a letter dated Sept. 10, an official of the Georgian ministry of culture blamed 'unexpected financial difficulties' for the disinvitation. 'We do understand that the cancellation of this project, which we deemed as a landmark and one of the highest-profile concert events in Georgia, creates many inconveniences and difficulties,' the letter said, according to an excerpt read during an interview Friday by Zarin Mehta, the orchestra's president and chief executive officer, 'but unfortunately it is beyond our capabilities at this stage to proceed further with the project.' The letter was signed by the first deputy culture minister, David Tskhadadze. 'I'm apoplectic, and so is my board,' 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 culture minister, Nikolos Rurua, issued a statement through a consulting firm in Washington, the Podesta Group, saying that the government regretted that the tour did not work out, 'but there was no contract, there was no agreement, and ultimately we could not come to terms on the cost.' Mehta pointed to language in the cancellation letter noting a 'bilateral verbal agreement between the minister of culture' and the orchestra over the concerts, and to preparations already under way in Georgia for them. 'If you didn't have an agreement,' he asked, 'why are they canceling?' He acknowledged that the contract was not signed but said that it was common practice in the concert world to sign right before the performances, and that the costs were the sticking point. The Philharmonic was scheduled to perform 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. The Philharmonic has been seeking out exotic destinations, and in recent years it has visited North Korea and Vietnam. Mehta said he was still hoping to send the orchestra to Cuba. 'I don't know when that will happen,' he said. The cancellation may also be seen as an embarrassment to the Georgian government and its president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who lived in New York in the early 1990s and whose Dutch-born wife, Sandra E. Roelofs, is a major supporter of classical music. Georgia prides itself on its U.S. ties, and its government, experts on the country say, is keen to burnish its credentials with its people as a deliverer of Western culture. The visit was initially broached by Lisa Batiashvili, an international violin soloist of Georgian origin who has played with the Philharmonic. In an interview in June, Batiashvili said she suggested the visit to the orchestra and to Saakashvili, who, she said, quickly made it happen. Despite the almost casual nature of the initial approach, Mehta said that the concerts had been planned in detail, down to stage construction, lighting and type of music stands. He and other orchestra officials made a trip in February and had dinner with the U.S. ambassador to Georgia, John R. Bass, and Roelofs. Until several months ago, Mehta said, 'it's been really very close, constant communication.' After the letter from the culture ministry, he added, Philharmonic and U.S. officials pressed the ministry to change course, to no avail. Mehta said the cancellation did not reflect badly on the orchestra. 'There was absolutely no indication until 10 days ago,' he added. 'I don't feel embarrassed by this. I feel angry.' He said the orchestra, which has been running deficits of around $4.5 million, will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the cancellation, including the cost of changing airline tickets and the loss of its fees from the Georgian government for the performances. Mehta said the Philharmonic had reduced its fee by half, to $115,000 per concert. Georgia had agreed to pay for a charter from Munich to Tbilisi and hotel costs. The Philharmonic already put up the money for the charter, expecting to be reimbursed, and is now trying to change the destination. The musicians were to leave New York on Oct. 18 but will instead depart on the 21st. Mehta said the orchestra would probably make up for the lost time -- and revenue -- with a rehearsal and a concert Oct. 19 and a benefit performance later in the year. 'I don't know how much time we have and what we can sell,' he said. In a formal statement on the cancellation, Mehta said he was 'frankly shocked' by the Georgian government's actions and regretted 'the unfortunate culmination of this honorable pursuit.' 