IGE Music & Art Immersion Announces Musical Ambassador Lineup, Engages Prague, Czech Republic for Location of Sixth Annual Summit 

The 501(c)(3) Innovative Giving Enhancement (IGE) Dissolves Borders with Cross-Cultural Artistic Exchange in Prague, Czech Republic Oct. 2 – 11, 2020

Artists include Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck, Peter Rowan, Jennifer Hartswick, Nicki Bluhm, Vince Herman, Grahame Lesh, Elliott Peck, Ross James, Holly Bowling, Natalie Cressman, James Casey, Ian Faquini, Steve Adams, Chris Chew, Matt Butler, Scott Law, plus The New Mastersounds & more still to be announced

Public on-sale kicks off Wed. Feb. 5, complete details available at https://innogiven.org/upcoming-2/

January 29, 2020 – New York, NY – Innovative Giving Enhancement (IGE) today announces the artist collective for the sixth annual Music and Art Immersion program happening in Prague, Czech Republic October 2-11, 2020.  Participants experience ten days and nine nights of concerts, jams and the many international musical collaborations at the heart of the Immersion experience.

Participants move throughout Prague’s diverse urban canvas as they experience a broad range of musical performances held across a palette of venues from the sublime to the curious. With its storied history; mind blowing art, architecture and music; magnificent venues and renowned cuisine, blazing hot Prague epitomizes the perfect Immersion locale. 

The 2020 Prague Music and Art Immersion is shaping up as IGE’s ultimate immersive experience is fielding the most extensive lineup to date. One no longer need imagine multiple concerts and jams shifting from club to cathedral, palace to museum, quaint theater to scientific society, or in the Mosaic House, IGE’s exquisite headquarters performance space ideally located in Prague’s central district near the Charles Bridge and the heart of its ancient pedestrian core. They’re now the daily and nightly backdrop for the cross-cultural exchange at the heart of each uniquely crafted IGE Immersion. 

The musician lineup of the 2020 Prague Music and Art Immersion includes: 

The New Mastersounds: Eddie Roberts, Simon Allen, Pete Shand, Joe Tatton and Lamar Williams Jr. 

Anders Beck & Paul Hoffman (Greensky Bluegrass)
Peter Rowan
Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon)

Holly Bowling (Ghost Light, soloist)
Jennifer Hartswick, Natalie Cressman and James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band)

Nicki Bluhm

Elliott Peck & Grahame Lesh (Midnight North and Terrapin Family Band)
Ross James & Scott Law (Terrapin Family Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Cosmic Twang)
Chris Chew (formerly of North Mississippi Allstars)

Steve Adams (ALO, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers)
Ian Faquini
Matt Butler (Everyone Orchestra)
Additional artists to be announced

These musical ambassadors will welcome and join forces with a broad range of European artists representing various genres for intentional collaborations and momentous improvisational performances. 

In addition to the depth of the musician lineup, all the visuals will be captured by celebrated concert photographers Jay Blakesberg and Dylan Langille who will document the revelry throughout the Immersion.

IGE Founder Michael Becker notes the experience is truly like none other for participants and musicians alike: “It is one thing to see the artists in their bands, and quite another to experience them personally as they discover inspiration. IGE Immersions bring individual players out from their usual band ecosystems to explore, create and discover in fresh and spontaneous musical contexts.” Expanding on the role of patrons as contributors, not just as outside-viewers he offers, “Each Immersion participant is integral to this intentional, co-created community and takes part in the direction of the entire experience.”

With the sixth incarnation of the international community-building collective happening in October 2020, past Immersion participants’ express the transcendent nature of the experience. Keith Moseley of String Cheese Incident notes: “For me, the IGE immersion is truly unique.  It’s not a gig, it’s not a vacation, it’s an opportunity to be who we are, among friends. Lovers of culture, of language, of food, of lifestyle. It’s about special musical collaborations in sublime settings.  It’s about sharing laughter and wonder and song in enchanting European locations.  It’s about tuning in to the local vibe and rhythms and soaking them up.  It’s less about performing music, and  more about playing it out of joy, inspiration and gratitude fueled by the immersive experience.”

Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass believes: “An IGE immersion is like no musical excursion you will participate in. It’s incomparable to any vacation – becoming a community in a foreign land to appreciate culture, art and music is the way to get to know a city like you never can sightseeing alone. On Immersions you are simultaneously a traveller and at home with a group of common minded people.”

True cultural immersion occurs when IGE’s European partners, European All Stars, and local friends, mesh with Immersion participants to bring direct benefit to Prague’s non-profits, artist communities and people.  Participants Lili and Ron Zweibaum offer IGE is “an absolutely fabulous experience. A small group of like-minded folks and the music and spirit that brings them together, all packaged together with some travel experience in Prague. We have been around the block a few times and I can say that in almost 50 years of listening to this music and being a part of this community, this was our finest experience ever.”

Complete information on immersion packages, rates, availability, and reservations are available at www.innogiven.org.