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

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Arabeske in C major, Op. 18

Performed by Yasmin Rowe

Robert Schumann (1810-1856), transcribed by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Widmung [Dedication], S. 566

Performed by Yasmin Rowe

Franz Liszt (1811-1886), arranged by Arcadi Volodos (b.1972)

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13, S. 244/13

Performed by Alexey Yemtsov

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Prelude in G minor, Op. 23 No. 5

Performed by Alexey Yemtsov

Edwin Henry Lemare (1865-1934)

Concert Fantasia – Improvisation upon The Sailor’s Hornpipe,

British Grenadiers and Rule, Britannia!, Op. 91

Performed by Thomas Heywood

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor

Hungarian Dance No. 2 in D minor

Performed by Alexey Yemtsov and Thomas Heywood

Johann Strauss, Jnr (1825-1899), transcribed by Thomas Heywood (b.1974)

Waltz: An der schönen, blauen Donau [On the beautiful blue Danube], Op. 314

Performed by Yasmin Rowe and Thomas Heywood

BACK TO FULL KEYS OF GOLD PROGRAM

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
YASMIN ROWE
ALEXEY YEMTSOV
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.