Emerson Quartet Violinist Philip Setzer Recounts Tense Trip to Taipei
Stony Brook Violin Professor Philip Setzer is a founding member of the world-renowned Emerson String Quartet, Stony Brook University’s Quartet-in-Residence. Below he tells the story of his recent hectic trip to Taipei, determined to make music in the midst of a global pandemic.
So, here’s what I remember. I left my house in New Jersey at 8:30 pm on July 15th, five hours before my flight was to depart JFK for Taipei, at 1:25 am. I had ordered a sanitized stretch limo in order to be absolutely safe, sitting all the way in the back seat with a partition between the driver and me. I had on two masks and goggles. I didn’t wear gloves, but had plenty of hand sanitizer with me. I kept the masks on for the ride, but, in a fit of bravery, I confess I took off my goggles. We reached the airport quickly, arriving at 9:30. I put on my goggles, grabbed a bottle of water, which was included in the steep price of the limo, and ventured out into the wilds of the airport. There was a group of young people standing by the entrance. No one was wearing a mask and they looked at me like I was completely nuts.
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