Ronn McFarlane is perhaps best known in his role as a skilled lutenist in The Baltimore Consort, but he holds his own as a soloist. Born in West Virginia, but reared in Maryland, McFarlane came to learn the guitar after hearing the riffs of the popular tune "Wipeout." With rock guitar as his foundation, he found himself turning his studies to classical guitar. After graduation from Shenandoah Conservatory and further studies in classical guitar at the Peabody Conservatory, he eventually decided in 1978 to make the lute his instrument of choice. He has been a member of The Baltimore Consort since 1979, and returned to Peabody Conservatory in 1984 as a faculty member. He remained there until 1995, teaching lute and lute-related courses. He currently lives in Massachusetts.