Marla Fibish
Marla’s is a distinct voice of the mandolin in Irish music. She brings her own musical sensibility to the tradition on one of its lesser heard instruments. With very few role models on the instrument, and an utter absence of teachers when she was starting out, she developed her voice on her own, focusing not on the mandolin itself, but on the music she loved so dearly. Her influences come, quite naturally then, from favorite fiddlers, pipers, flute and accordion players, and her style one that aims to capture the movement and flow of the music on those instruments, while highlighting the particular beauties the mandolin can bring to the table.
Over the years, and as the instrument has gained popularity in the tradition, she has become a respected and sought-after teacher, and loves nothing more than nurturing newer players and helping them find their own voice on the instrument. She teaches at camps and workshops around the US and in Ireland, as well as online with Peghead Nation . In 2026, she co-cofounded the inaugural Irish Mandolin Gathering.
In the Playdate Trio, with loads of gratitude to Lewis and Rebecca, she has the opportunity to dig deeper into her voice as a tunesmith, and experience the joy of witnessing her tunes come to life in their hands.
"Some of the best mandolin playing in Irish music.”
—Dennis Cahill, Guitarist
"Marla is a wonder on the mandolin; rhythmic beyond imagination, clear as a bell tone, great invention, lovely ornaments at just the right times and places, and a sureness and ease that allows the listener to relax and be carried away."
—Kevin Carr, Folkworks
Rebecca Richman
From the time she was very young, Rebecca Richman was drawn into the rich traditional music scene of Northern California, where the sounds of Old-Time American, Contra Dance, Scottish, and Irish traditions all left their mark on her playing of fiddle and English concertina. After studying at the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College, she stepped away from music for over a decade — and when she returned, it was with a deeper love for the art form and a clearer sense of her own voice within it. A longtime music teacher as well as a performer, Rebecca brings both warmth and expertise to everything she does, whether she's in the classroom, the studio, or on stage.
A sought-after session musician, Rebecca has brought her fiddle and concertina to recording studios across a wide range of projects — from children's albums to singer-songwriters and beyond.
Since her return, she has explored a wide range of collaborations with artists including Kyle Alden, Rory MacNamara, Riggy Rackin, Jerry Hannan, Roxanne Oliva, Michael Harmon, The Baybillies Stringband, and many more.
Her most recent and ongoing collaboration, with Marla Fibish and Lewis Santer, reflects what Rebecca has always brought to music: genuine connection, playful curiosity, and a deep reverence for tradition.
Lewis Santer
Lewis Santer has been playing fretted instruments since his youth at socialist summer camp in the Pennsylvania woods, where campfire singalongs inspired by his heroes Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, and Andy Irvine lit a musical fire that never went out. Philadelphia folk clubs introduced him to Irish tunes and songs, and by the early 1990s he was playing contra dances and performing with bands. In 1997 he co-founded Driving with Fergus, which played for dances, at clubs and bars, at festivals and college campuses; he and co-founder Vince Wolfe continue to perform together to this day. His traditional roots have taken him in other directions as well — as part of CeiliZemer, a Celtic/Klezmer ensemble, he recorded the soundtrack for Shalom Ireland, a documentary about the small Jewish community in present-day Dublin and for 20 years he performed with the Sacramento Labor Chorus.
Alongside his performing life, Lewis has been a professional luthier since 1986, building Irish bouzoukis and guitars. He apprenticed with TJ Thompson, managed Ervin Somogyi's building and apprenticeship program for eight years, and has been the authorized Martin Guitar Warranty repairman for the SF Bay Area since 1995. In 2019 he co-founded Wood Street Guitar Repair, a worker-owned luthier co-op in Oakland, CA specializing in precision fretwork with the Plek machine and all things vintage mandolin.