Artist in residence is told she cannot fly
NewsThe US-based French pianist Hélène Grimaud was meant to be the Portrait Artist at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in northern Germany, with 14 concerts on her schedule.
She has just pulled out, it was announced this morning, ‘due to ongoing travel restrictions as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis’.
Seven of her dates have been taken over by the Canadian Jan Lisiecki.
How’s he getting there?
People can (for now) travel from US to Germany.
Not sure what travel restrictions she or her managers are talking about.
From the Embassy: “As of June 20, 2021, residents of the United States are allowed to enter Germany for all purposes.”
https://de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Hmmm. Under “quarantine requirements” it also says:
“All travelers coming from a virus-variant area must quarantine for 14 days, even if they have been vaccinated. There is no possibility of ending quarantine early.
“All travelers from high-risk areas, except those with proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the last 6 months, must quarantine for 10 days. The quarantine can be ended with a negative test taken after 5 days.”
So if she lives in a “virus-variant area,” it could be a question of the quarantine requirements, rather than simply being or not being allowed to get on a plane? I don’t know how recently the rules changed, so she might not have been left with enough time to quarantine for 2 weeks in advance.
Just speculating.
No restrictions if coming from the US. The rules just eased on August 1st again. But without knowing where she would have been coming from or intended to go after, we can’t know.
Just because you can fly anywhere from US or Canada doesn’t mean you will be let into any European or UK country as their rules are very different.
Depends on where she currently stays. If she is in what Germany considers as a high risk region, she would have to quarantine for 2 weeks at arrival. This includes e.g. the south of France, where Grimaud is originally from, but not the US or Canada.
She’s may not be vaxed and refuses to pay for a test out of solidarity with wolves.
Or this is all about flight shame.
Greta Grimaud?
We are not hearing the complete story. I know people who have travelled from the US to Europe.
‘Europe’ is not a country but a continent made up of many separate countries and it’s own language. It is not the United States of Europe as so many Americans seem to think it is. Germany, as all the countries of Europe, each has its own rules, and so has the four countries of the UK and southern Ireland. You have two sets of rules to negotiate when on a plane somewhere that is not within the same country.
Canada and US two different countries with two different sets of rules as has England and Scotland had for months, even though both UK. Perhaps he’s already locked down elsewhere nearer to the venues in Europe? Maybe not.
I suspect he must be in Europe already as when the EU loosened restrictions on the US, I don’t think they did for Canada. Or perhaps that was the UK. He lives in Calgary and has been tweeting from there, so if he is at home I don’t know how he is managing it.
But vaccination take-up is higher here than in the US, so that may be an issue.
No restrictions (including no requirement for testing or quarantine) for entering Germany if fully vaccinated and coming from Canada.
Could be that she did not pass a PCR test, which virtually every airline flying to Europe asks for? Remember, PCR tests are very sensitive and could give false positive.
If you take a PCR test 24-48 hours before a flight, get one of those false positive results, you don’t have time to take another one in time for the flight.
Of course, I am just speculating. As someone else said, there is more to the story than we’re lead to know.
False positives happen, but they are so rare compared to the lateral flow tests, so why all European and British countries of the UK and Ireland require PCR. All speculation anyhow.
Travels with Wolves…
Perhaps Daniel Harding was the pilot, and she got out.
Lucky for the concert goers, he’s the better pianist anyway.
He’s been performing in Switzerland. It’s amazing what you can find with six seconds of Googling.
Only people that know all detail of this article should be allowed to comment on here. Norman, that includes you.
https://www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/opinions/080421/us-travel-bans-bizarre-and-ruthless
Hélène Grimaud is in the same situation – living in the States but French citizenship.
The problem is far more than one of the music world. Biden should finally think of something reasonable.
Biden’s handlers should finally think of something reasonable. FIFY
Comrade H you should take a cue from President Biden and on matters related to limiting the spread of COVID-19 listen to public health and relevant scientific experts. Then again it would significantly cut into your disinformation fees.
Comrade H I meant to ask your opinion of Ms. Grimaud’s approach to the Brahms concerti in particular the D minor concerto. Given that the work was composed early in his career and has been seen as the work of a young man expressing earth-shattering emotions. Given that she has performed the piece regularly and recorded it twice the piece clearly resonates with her but I find her approach a bit too lyrical and fussy. For me Fleisher, Pollini and Serkin Sr are closer to the mark. Which performances do you return to?
Hmm, if she is “living” in the US as you say, clearly she is excempt from the ban and can (re-)enter with her permanent residency (green card) status.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/covid-19-travel-restrictions-and-exceptions.html
“The Proclamations do not apply to:
U.S. citizens;
lawful permanent residents;
…”
Is she playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order?
She is most likely in the US on an O-1b work visa. Unfortunately, only American citizens and green card holders are allowed to enter the US at this time. It has nothing to do with traveling to Europe. The problem is not being able to return to your adopted home once you leave.
But she is in the US for many years now. Is that possible with a O-1b work visa only?
He is already in Europe for other engagements
He is already in Europe for other engagements.