Traditions Reimagined — The Althafen Foundation’s Christmas Gala at Gallery NOACK with Verità Baroque
©Hans-Dieter Brand
Berlin, December 2025 — When sound meets sculpture, tradition is reborn. On December 15, 2025, the Althafen Foundation presents its annual Christmas Gala at Gallery NOACK, in collaboration with the Hermann Noack Art Foundry, featuring the acclaimed ensemble Verità Baroque.
Launched three years ago as part of a co-produced concert series with the Foundry, this festive evening has become a cherished highlight of Berlin’s winter season. Each year, the Gala unites music, art, and craftsmanship in a celebration that bridges centuries — and this December, the tradition continues within the luminous halls of Gallery NOACK, where the power of Baroque music encounters the beauty of contemporary sculpture.
The evening begins with an exhibition preview of works from the Hermann Noack Collection (1951–2025), spanning more than seventy years of artistic production. Sculptures by Kenneth Armitage, Henry Moore, Georg Baselitz, Anna and Ninel Bogouchevskaia, Rainer Fetting, Karl Horst Hödicke and others set a vivid backdrop for the concert to follow.
“Each year, the Gala brings new life to our space,” reflects Hermann Noack. “Art, whether cast in bronze or expressed in sound, shares the same spirit of transformation.”
As the exhibition gives way to music, Verità Baroque takes the stage with the program TEMPESTA — a journey through elemental and emotional forces in Antonio Vivaldi’s sound world. The evening features La Tempesta di Mare, La Notte and Winter from The Four Seasons, alongside Starfish Rebellion by SJ Hanke, a contemporary composition written for the ensemble.
Audiences can experience Verità Baroque’s artistry in advance through two striking ARD Mediathek performances that capture their expressive and visionary approach:
“These Christmas concerts have become a beloved part of Berlin’s cultural life,” says Mark Prihodko, Artistic Director of the Althafen Foundation. “They must continue — they bring a sense of unity in our increasingly polarized world. The sensitivity of this unique young ensemble’s treatment of historical music is only matched by their magnetic energy, which leaves no listener behind.”
International critics echo this enthusiasm. BBC Radio 3’s Andrew McGregor called Verità Baroque “totally captivating from the start… the recording a beauty, rich and vibrant.” Doris Blaich (SWR2 Alte Musik) praised them as “a real discovery, an incredibly strong ensemble, fiery and imaginative,” while the American Record Guide admired their “sweetness and vigor” and “smooth, sustained tones.” These voices highlight Verità Baroque’s rare combination of technical mastery, interpretative refinement, and luminous artistry.
Following the concert, guests are invited to a three-course dinner with wine pairing at Bar Brass, where artists and audience come together to share the spirit of the season in a warm and festive atmosphere.
Verità Baroque — Tradition Meets Transformation
Founded in 2020 by Taya König-Tarasevich and Bartolomeo Dandolo Marchesi, Verità Baroque is the first accelerated ensemble of the Althafen Foundation — a pioneering initiative supporting exceptional young musicians through mentorship, collaboration, and creative exploration.
Bringing together artists from across the world, Verità Baroque reimagines Baroque music for the modern era, combining historically informed performance with a bold, contemporary sensibility. Their work extends beyond the concert hall — from immersive 360° video productions to collaborations merging Baroque and electronic music — forging a vibrant dialogue between past and present.
“It is an honor for Verità Baroque to continue this tradition and return to Berlin with our Christmas Gala Concert,” says Taya König-Tarasevich, co-founder and Artistic Director of the ensemble. “This program radiates the anticipation and magic of the season. Alongside Vivaldi’s Winter, we also perform Starfish Rebellion, a work dedicated to Verità. When Verità performs a piece composed for us, the room fills with a unique electricity: the charged silence before the first bravos is what makes every performance unforgettable.”
A Partnership Across Art Forms
The collaboration between the Hermann Noack Art Foundry and the Althafen Foundation reflects a shared vision: to honor heritage while cultivating innovation. Together, they create an environment where sculpture and sound, tradition and experimentation coexist — each illuminating the other.
The Althafen Foundation, based in Berlin, empowers talents to drive innovation and sustainable growth in the arts through entrepreneurship, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Its mission is to foster creativity and connection in an increasingly divided world — a vision embodied in the spirit of this annual Christmas Gala.
The Althafen Foundation’s Christmas Gala at Gallery NOACK invites the Berlin audience to celebrate this season of light and reflection — to experience how music and art, old and new, come together to remind us of our shared humanity.
About the Partners
Hermann Noack Art Foundry & Gallery
Founded in 1897, the Hermann Noack Art Foundry is one of Germany’s most prestigious centers of artistic craftsmanship. Sculptures and monuments cast here continue to shape Berlin’s cityscape. Today, the Foundry remains a living workshop — a place where artistic creation and technical mastery converge, and where, for one night, music joins the art of sculpture.
Althafen Foundation
Based in Berlin, the Althafen Foundation empowers talent and innovation in the arts through mentorship, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary dialogue. Its programs provide platforms for emerging artists to develop sustainable careers and foster global cultural exchange.