"In a Gondola": Alice Barnett's Song Cycle » Music Lecture

Songs of Alice Barnett: A San Diego Composer’s Unsung Legacy
Concert-Lecture Series presented by Dr. Katina Mitchell and Dr. Yewon Lee

Monday, June 30; 6:30 PM


Alice Barnett’s most mature and substantial work is her song cycle In a Gondola, published by G. Schirmer. This lecture explores the artistic and historical contexts that shaped the composition, examining both its poetic inspiration and its musical innovations. Drawing on contemporary sources, including letters, newspaper reviews, and journal accounts, the lecture also traces the early reception of and critical response to her song cycle. The program concludes with a complete performance of In a Gondola, offering audiences the opportunity to experience Barnett’s distinctive compositional voice in its fullest expression.

This program is generously underwritten by Annasue McCleave Wilson and John Wilson.


About Dr. Katina Mitchell

Dr. Katina Mitchell is a native of San Diego. She has sung with the San Diego Symphony; lautten compagney BERLIN; MicroFest, Los Angeles; Monday Evening Concerts, Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Volti, San Francisco; Bach Collegium San Diego, The Da Camera Society, Los Angeles; and more. A favorite engagement was performing with Ensemble Vocatrix in fully staged productions of Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum in Los Angeles and Berkeley. Recently Mitchell has sung as both soloist and chorister with San Diego Master Chorale, Sacra/Profana, and the Schola Cantorum of St. James-by-the-Sea. Her work has been featured at the Velaslavasay Panorama, Los Angeles and the Medieval History Center in Azincourt, France, and in media outlets including the BBC, NPR’s Life in Berlin, and the Los Angeles Times.

In 2023, Mitchell began presenting her extensive original research on composer Alice Barnett, giving lectures with the San Diego History Center; the Western History Association, Los Angeles; National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), San Diego chapter, at San Diego State University; Palomar College; and Society for American Music, Tacoma, Washington. Katina holds degrees in music from Rice University and the University of Southern California (USC). She is a member of the music faculty at Palomar College, teaches voice at Grossmont College, and maintains a private studio.


About Dr. Yewon Lee

Dr. Yewon Lee is a frequently sought-after conductor and collaborative pianist on the operatic and concert stage. Prior to relocating to San Diego, Lee was Assistant Music Director of Opera at Baldwin Wallace University and Adjunct Professor at Kent State University. In the operatic world, she coached at Baldwin Wallace Opera Theater, National Opera Center, Aspen Opera Theater Center, and International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel, France, Italy, and Japan.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee received a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Seoul National University, completed her Master of Music in vocal accompanying at Manhattan School of Music, and earned an artist diploma in collaborative piano from The Juilliard School. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in choral music at USC.

Currently, she is a music director of the San Diego Festival Chorus and the San Dieguito United Methodist Church. She also serves as the Far South Representative for the California Choral Directors Association.


The lecture will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for this event. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 6 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. Priority seating will be given to Donor level members and above.

Image: Alice Barnett; photo courtesy of San Diego History Center

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• This Monday, 30th June, 06:30 pm, Songs of Alice Barnett: A San Diego Composer’s Unsung Legacy | Lecture Series in La Jolla
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