Lutenist Ronn McFarlane is a pioneering figure in lute performance in North America, bringing the instrument to new audiences, teaching younger players, and collaborating with a variety of singers and instrumentalists. He has also composed music of his own and formed two influential ensembles, the Baltimore Consort and Ayreheart.
McFarlane was born in West Virginia in 1953 but grew up in Maryland. First attracted to music by the instrumental Wipeout by The Surfaris, he bought a $16 guitar and began practicing. McFarlane studied classical guitar at Shenandoah University in Vir...