Marla Hansen is a Madison native who currently lives in New York City. A classically trained violist who has branched out into popular music, she performs her own original songs accompanied by guitar-style viola. Her music is quiet and eclectic, with the mellow tone of the viola providing a refreshing new texture to the singer-songwriter format. Blending indie/folk style song writing with an alternately pure and wild voice, Marla's performances are intimate, vibrant and always surprising.

Marla is the violist for My Brightest Diamond
(formerly AwRY,) and has collaborated with Sufjan Stevens, Oneida, Kanye West and many other wonderful people while living in New York.