Executive and Artistic Director

Dr. Fiona Chatwin

Executive and Artistic Director, Dr. Fiona Chatwin completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts from UCSD with a view to a joint career as both teacher and performer. With twenty-two years experience as a teacher of voice both here in San Diego and in Melbourne Australia (where she is from), Chatwin has worked with students of all ages, backgrounds and vocal disciplines. Chatwin has worked at both Community College and University levels designing curriculum for programs that range from music theory to opera, vocal music of the 20th century to improvisation.

In 2005, Chatwin founded Villa Musica – San Diego’s Community Music Center. Over the past eleven years Chatwin has built Villa Musica into a musical home for aspiring musicians of all ages, providing a stable work environment for local teaching artists and providing music education opportunities for at risk youth, and seniors, in San Diego.

Chatwin’s eleven-year affiliation with the National Guild for Community Arts Education has provided her with many opportunities to learn about administrative best practices and national standards of excellence. In 2013 she was chosen to participate in the highly competitive Community Arts Education Leadership Institute, and then in 2015 she was invited to participate as a guest faculty member. Chatwin is an ongoing presenter at the Guild’s National Annual conference, specializing in sessions pertaining to small organization start-up strategies, mentoring first time ED’s and the power of collaboration. Chatwin’s practical and straight-shooting style is well received by guild members across the country and she has mentored many leaders through organizational growth and restructuring. Chatwin currently serves as a Southern California ambassador for the National Guild, as well as serving on three advisory boards for small organizations across the country.

Balancing the roles of CEO and Artistic Director, Chatwin embraces the entrepreneurial challenges that a young organization reveals, and has guided it through significant growth. It is with a steady and unyielding focus that she maintains Villa Musica’s mission in her sights as she navigates the challenging terrain of the non-profit arts organization of the 21st century.

Director of Community Partnerships

R. Aaron Bullard

Aaron started his musical training on the cello at young age. He discovered a passion for teaching while earning his Bachelors in music at University of California, Santa Barbara. Aaron returned to his home town of San Diego to pursue a Master’s in musicology and is writing his thesis on immersion in videogame music. Since graduating, Aaron has worked in various positions for several prominent music organizations around town, including San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and Mainly Mozart. His experience in these organization has given him insight into multiple facets of a music non-profit. He is excited to bring this experience to Villa Musica as the Community Partnerships Manager.

Director of First Impressions

Maddison Nelson

Maddison, or Maddy, is a recent graduate from the University of San Diego. She has a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, and Music. She participated in the USD Choral Scholars program for three years while at USD under the direction of Dr. Emilie Amrein. While in high school in Hawai’i, she performed in musical theatre shows and learned how to play guitar from the internet (which is why she sometimes calls herself a
DIY-musician). Maddy loves to write, read, sing, and learn in her free time. There’s hardly anything that doesn’t interest her. You can also catch her on a hike or at the beach on the weekend. She’s very excited to join this team of driven and motivated people, and bring more music to San Diego!

Social and Digital Media Intern/Reception

Kelly Wilson

Kelly Wilson is a current undergraduate at the University of San Diego graduating in the spring of 2019 double majoring in English and Spanish with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Born and raised in Minnesota, Kelly found her way to San Diego as a college freshman and only misses the snow sometimes. Playing the clarinet all through middle school and high school, she understands the importance and significance of quality music education and to this day will visit her high school band community when she is at home. As Villa Musica’s new Social Media Intern, she hopes to revamp Villa Musica’s presence on the internet to help spread the word about all the wonderful things they have to offer. She hopes that Villa Musica will be the start of a flourishing writing career and can’t wait to be apart of the Villa Musica team. When she is not reading or writing, she likes to knit, bother her cat, and tend the little garden she started this spring at her apartment.

Bookkeeper

Mary Ann Fortin

Mary Ann established Fortin Consulting in 1995.  With years of finance and business management experience, she recognized the need for business owners to be able to outsource their bookkeeping and business management needs to qualified professionals when it wasn’t cost effective or practical to hire in-house staff to perform these functions.  In 1996, Mary Ann received her certification from San Diego State in Medical Office Procedures to better understand the unique needs of medical practices.  Since then, she has been working with health care providers and other small to medium sized business owners helping them to manage their businesses to their fullest potential.  Mary Ann is a Certified Bookkeeper as well as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor.

Graphic Designer

Jen Fitch

My name is Jen Fitch and I love all things creative and artistic. I craft beautiful brands, logos, websites and printed materials. Austin, TX is where I call home, but I enjoy working with clients all over the country. I feel that every client is unique and their designs should be as well. I take time to identify each and every client’s design needs and preferences to ensure a final product that is tailored specifically to them. Please take a look around, and feel free to contact me with any design needs.

Grant Writer

Barbara Broderick