Although it is only three months since the curtain went down on the Bermuda Festival 2000, plans have already been firmed up for the next one, the first performance of which begins on January 11, 2001.

In an exclusive interview with Lifestyle, chairman of the Bermuda Festival Geoffrey Moore revealed the line-up for the next year's event, which again includes a broad-ranging cultural menu.

"Our first artists will be the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra (PVCO) directed by Daniel Spalding, who conducted the Black Sea State Orchestra last year,'' Mr. Moore said. "Mr. Spalding's wife, Gabriella Imreh, a well-known pianist from Romania, will appear with the PVCO. Like her husband, she last performed in Bermuda with the Black Sea State Orchestra.'' The PVCO will perform twice, once on their own, and once with the popular, London-based Ethos Percussion Group.

"They are going to perform a concert of Bizet's Carmen Suite,'' Mr. Moore said. "I have heard them play it on CD, and it is just amazing.'' On January 13, Ethos will join well-known Bermudian musician, Lloyd Matthew's choir, Word, in a performance of Missa Luba, an African Mass.

In another amalgamation of overseas and local talent, the American Boychoir, under the direction of James Litton, will return to join two local choirs directed by Gary Burgess and Marjorie Pettit.

"Boychoir will also perform at St. Paul's Church, Paget with Scott Dettra, who is a brilliant organist,'' Mr. Moore said.

Famed Jamaican opera star Willard White will add Bermuda to his list of international engagements when he presents an evening of Paul Robeson, in company with the six-piece Matrix Ensemble, and narrator Trevor Phillips, who recently ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of London.

Mr. White is famous in Europe, and his Festival performance will focus on the life and times of Mr. Robeson, an American singer, civil rights activist, law school graduate, athlete, scholar and author, who became an advocate of communism, and had his US passport temporarily revoked as a result. Later in life, his popularity plummeted, as did his health, and he ultimately died in 1976.

The Robeson show received outstanding reviews in Britain, where it was first performed at the Salisbury Festival, and subsequently at the London Jazz Festival in the Royal Festival Hall.

The third week of the Bermuda Festival will see a little "cross-pollination'' as some artists move from one programme to another. It will open with the Ernst Kovacic Ensemble giving two performances of chamber music. Players will include Pascal Moragues (clarinet), David Owen Norris (piano), and Raphael Wallfisch (cello).

"Following this the Ensemble will team up with Raphael Wallfisch and John Butt to perform The Bach Odyssey, which is a story told to the accompaniment of cello and harpsichord,'' Mr. Moore explained.

The Festival chairman also revealed that Timothy West, who plays Bach in The Bach Odyssey, will be joined by his wife, the well-known British actress Prunella Scales (of Fawlty Towers fame), in separate performances of The Battle of the Sexes -- billed as "presenting an amusing view of life''.

Jazz lovers will enjoy another foot-stomping feast when The Dukes of Dixieland return from New Orleans, Louisiana.

"They were here two years ago and played to standing ovations,'' Mr. Moore noted.

Dance enthusiasts will be treated to performances of Pascal Rioult, a classical and modern dance company from New York, and Ballethnic, a small, black ballet company also from New York, will be included in the 2001 line-up.

Pascal Rioult will be followed by classical guitarists, The Katona Twins who, Mr. Moore says, "are making their name on the world scene, so we are hoping to catch them before they become too famous''.

For opera fans, there is great news. The ink is now dry on the appropriate contracts to bring the English Pocket Opera Company to Bermuda where, together with local performers, stage hands, technicians and others, and the assistance of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, they will present a nearly-full length version of Bizet's opera, Carmen.

"Rehearsals have already taken place here for certain roles in this opera, particularly the chorus and minor players, and I have been informed that they think two of the eight leads could also come from the Bermuda opera scene, which is very interesting and exciting,'' Mr. Moore said. "The performances will involve 180 people, including musicians, singers, players and backstage crew, and will take place at the Ruth Seaton James auditorium.

"There will be a large local participation in all areas because of what is involved. Carmen is going to be the biggest production that Bermuda has ever undertaken to date, so the Bermuda Festival is delighted to be able to sponsor it in 2001.'' Carmen will be directed by English Pocket Opera Company founder and artistic director Mark Tinkler, while Mark Dorrell will be the musical director. Since the original version runs to over three hours, Mr. Moore expects the local version to be "trimmed slightly'' to lessen its length by approximately one hour.

The Festival will close with performances by the Oxford University group, I Fagiolini. The eight singers, which include two women and whose style is similar to The King's Singers, will give one concert on their own, and then combine with the best voices from the Seventh Day Adventist Choirs of Soweto, South Africa.

"Their programme of English and African folk songs will be entitled Simunye, which means `We are one', and it will be very interesting,'' Mr. Moore promised. "I was given a CD of their music, and it is an entrancing sound.'' While drama is currently missing from the next year's programme, the chairman said Festival organisers are actively working on including something.

With the 2001 programme now nearly settled, Mr. Moore said the Festival was already lining up artists for 2002. Not unnaturally, he chose to play his cards close to his chest at this time, but hinted that he "would love'' to have Britain's Black Dyke Band and the celebrated Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdes return, both of whom proved hugely popular with local audiences this year.

A modern production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess is also being investigated for 2002.

"We plan at least a year in advance, but things do change because you can't avoid the fact that some artists won't turn up even with a contract,'' Mr.

Moore noted. "They get what they consider to be better offers on television and in film, and occasionally they do drop out at the last minute.'' Explaining that his organisation wished to attract more visitors to the Island for the Festivals, the chairman said negotiations were currently under way with the airlines and hotels toward that end.

But no matter how accomplished the artists, nor large the audiences, no Festival could take place without the collective support of many organisations and individuals, and Mr. Moore was anxious to give them credit.

"We couldn't exist without the co-operation of the Departments of Tourism and Immigration, the 150 willing volunteers, benefactors, sponsors and advertisers,'' he said. "If anybody wishes to be more involved as an assistant or volunteer, particularly in the box office, I urge them to please contact the Festival office at 295-1291.''