When the 19th annual Bermuda Festival gets underway in January, there will be the now well-established mix of famous and about-to-be-famous names lined up to entertain visitors and residents alike.

Festival Chairman Mr. Peter Lloyd is confident the slate of performers will provide something for everyone.

"We try to produce a mixture in all sorts of ways -- different kinds of music, dance, drama and theatrical entertainments.'' The Festival, he said, always anxious to obtain artists of outstanding quality, usually succeeds. It manages to attract one or two international stars and one or two who are arguably the best in the world in their particular category. Citing the recent appearances of percussionist Evelyn Glennie and recorder player Michala Petri as outstanding examples of this latter policy, Mr. Lloyd believes that the Tallis Scholars will fill that slot this year.

"I think most people would say that they are the finest a capella choir in the world. Wherever they go, they sing to standing-room only sell-outs. We are hoping that people here will recognise their quality. They are absolutely wonderful and I'm glad to say they will be performing one of their most famous works, the Misere-Allegri as part of their programme.'' The London-based choir, consisting of five men and five women, specialises in early Renaissance sacred music, and their extraordinary quality of sound, captured on more than two dozen award-winning recordings, is bound to have special appeal here, where choral music enjoys a high level of popularity.

"The other major super-star this year,'' continued Mr. Lloyd, "is Roger Whitaker. The Southampton Princess is no longer available to stage big events, but fortunately, we are able to use the ballroom at Marriott's Castle Harbour.

They are very enthusiastic about hosting the performances of this world-famous entertainer.'' One of the coups for this year's Festival will be the appearance, for the first time, of a full-size symphony orchestra. The Juilliard Students Symphony Orchestra, representing the cream of young American musicians, will be playing music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Schuman. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Schumann Cello Concerto will be played by student soloists.

Said Mr. Lloyd: "I understand they're having a competition amongst the students at Juilliard to see who's going to be chosen to play the solos. We are very fortunate to be having these young musicians, all of whom are either in their final year or are already graduate students. A total of 42 instrumentalists will be coming and they constitute not only America's best, but from around the world.'' While on the subject of Beethoven, it is the life of that great composer which provides the theme for the return appearance by the English Chamber Theatre.

The group which received such acclaim for their 1992 production of "Their Finest Hour'', will present "Beethoven in Vienna''. Through his letters, journals and notebooks, the triumphs and sufferings experienced by Beethoven during his sometimes tumultuous life are brought thrillingly alive.

"This should have a very wide appeal,'' said Mr. Lloyd, "as it is part biography and part musical.'' Still on the musical beat, Grammy award-winner Richard Stolzman is considered one of the finest instrumentalists in the world. He plays the clarinet, but is slightly unusual that he is equally at home with the classics or jazz. He will be joined by Bill Douglas on the piano and synthesiser and Eddie Gomez on bass.

"He will be playing both, from Bach to Charlie Parker,'' beamed Mr. Lloyd, adding another new dimension will be added by the fact his show features projected images at the back of the stage as he plays, "so it's like a multi-media show and, hence the title, `Music and Light'.'' Seventeen-year-old Canadian violinist James Ehnes has been causing major headlines in the music world. He has been described as having the sort of talent that only occurs once in a century. He has already won a host of major awards and competitions. He will play music by Beethoven, Wieniaski, Ravel, and Strauss.

Dance is featured in two of the programmes this year. "We like to try and have something ethnic and a variety of styles of dance, as well as classical ballet and modern dance,'' Mr. Lloyd said.

The ethnic aspect will be provided by the Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco. The company of dancers, singers and onstage musicians will bring the inimitable feet-stamping, clapping and castanet clicking of southern Spain to the City Hall stage.

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, on the other hand, represents the latest in dance forms as conceived by an ensemble of young black dancers. According to Mr. Lloyd they are regarded as one of the "up and coming groups. We believe this little company may become one of the stars in the dance world of tomorrow''.

Another highly acclaimed group making their debut in Bermuda is the famed Talich String Quartet, a chamber group from the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

"They are one of the top four or five quartets in the world who have a tremendous following through their records and CDs. They have won all kinds of awards and they play all over the world to sold-out audiences, so I think we were lucky to get them,'' said Mr. Lloyd.

Jazz is represented by Sandra Reaves, who is very well known as a Broadway actress as well as a singer. In her "Tribute to Late Great Ladies of Jazz'', she will recreate the sounds of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson. With backing by a "hot'' quintet, the All-Star Jazz Band, this looks as though it will be one of the most popular acts of the season.

Winner of the 8th Van Cliburn International Competition, Alexei Sultanov, from Uzbekistan, will represent the art of the piano. Beginning his studies at the age of three, he made his formal debut at seven, completing his studies at the Moscow State Conservatory -- and has gone on to receive international acclaim ever since. He will be playing music by Chopin, Scriabin, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff.

A trio of doctors with a longing for the footlights have become one of Britain's most popular song-and-comedy groups. When they appeared as one of the fringe attractions at the Edinburgh Festival, they walked away with the critical honours of the season. Since then they were given their own series on BBC television and have just recorded their fifth album.

Another couple making a welcome return visit will be Wayne Marshall, organ, and Mladen Janjanin on the piano, who will give two concerts at St. John's Church. Since his last visit, Mr. Marshall was the associate musical director for the London version of Carmen Jones.

This year's family show is Lazer Vaudeville, featuring magic lasers, juggling, comedy, acrobatics and even a Fluorescent Fire Breathing Dragon who narrates the show. Special appeal here, for the children.

Finally, it is the BMDS who will represent local talent in this year's Festival, with a production of Shakespeare's Richard III.

Former staff director of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for twenty years, David Perry, has been invited to direct this most dramatic of Shakespeare's historical plays.

Producer Janice Stroeder emphasises that the production will be a big one: "We need lots of people to turn up for the auditions,'' she stresses, adding that experience with Shakespeare is not necessary. Lots of the roles have only one or two lines and some, none at all. They're soldiers, or murderers, or something!'' To whet the appetite, there will be a large-screen filming of Olivier's version of Richard III on Friday, November 5 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are $3.

"Mr. Perry feels that Olivier did the definitive Richard III and, in any case, it's a good introduction to Shakespeare for those who are not familiar.

Some people, unfortunately, are scared off by Shakespeare and this film shows that they shouldn't be. It's a very exciting play,'' says Mrs. Schroeder.

Closed auditions for Richard III will be held on Saturday, December 18 and in the evenings of December 19 and 20.

"We would like people to recite a short piece by Shakespeare, but it doesn't have to be Richard III. Audition pieces will be available at the film screening for people to take home. We're hoping as many as possible will show up. The costumes are going to be hired from London.'' Ticket order forms for the 1994 Bermuda Festival are now available at the Visitors' Service Bureau on Front Street. Forms will also be published in The Mid-Ocean News on Friday, October 22 and in The Royal Gazette on October 25.

OLE! -- Spanish Flamenco comes to City Hall in the form of Maria Benitez and her company of dancers, singers and musicians for the Bermuda Festival in January.

THE MANY FACES OF SANDRA REAVES -- Jazz singer and actress Sandra Reaves in some of the scenes from her show, `The Late Great Ladies of Blues and Jazz'.

DAYTON DANCERS -- The young black dancers who form the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company are being hailed as having one of the best small companies in the US.

`INSTANT SUNSHINE' is guaranteed when this trio of comic songsters appears.