Holy Trinity Church, Malden — interior, Holy Trinity Church Maldon

Bendigo’s Keys of Gold Classical Music Festival is so called as the festival not only features keyboard instruments at every concert, but also features the rich heritage of glorious buildings, grand public spaces and elegant streetscapes all made possible through the discovery of gold in 1851.

Inspired by the vision of the great Victorian architect William Vahland to make Bendigo the ‘Vienna of the South’, the festival will bring Bendigo and surrounds’ multi-million dollar unique heritage of spectacular pipe organs to life, together with the Steinway concert grand piano selected by Vladimir Ashkenazy himself for the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and much more. There are 16 concerts across Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in July 2025 - in 11 venues in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Inglewood and Maldon, with 27 instruments and 45 performers.

PROGRAM

Paul-Agricole Génin (1832-1903)

Carnaval de Venise, Op. 14

Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918), transcribed by Sir Walter Alcock (1861-1947)

Bridal March and Finale from The Music to ‘The Birds’ of Aristophanes, Organ solo

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), trans. Harvey Grace (1874-1944)

Chaconne from Cantata No. 150 – ‘Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich’, BWV 150, Organ solo

Takatsugu Muramatsu (b.1978)

Earth

Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897)

Three movements from Suite Gothique, Op. 25, Organ solo

i. Introduction – Choral

ii. Menuet gothique

iii. Toccata

Franz Doppler (1821-1883)

Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy, Op. 24

BACK TO FULL KEYS OF GOLD PROGRAM

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

MASAHIDE KURITA

THOMAS HEYWOOD

Keys of Gold is presented by Bendigo Fine Music. BFM is a registered charity led by a team of people living in and around this beautiful city, aspiring to enrich lives for the good of the wider community through world-class fine music experiences in Bendigo’s unique performance spaces, unparalleled in regional Australia.