Ron Wall has been a strong supporter of the autoharp community for many years, as a player, a producer, and an innovator of the instrument. The development of his personal style of bare-fingered open noting has amazed listeners for decades, and together with his singing and songwriting skills, make him a delight to hear. He last performed at MLAG in 2015, and this will be his fifth appearance as a featured performer.

Ron has taken the autoharp into the world at large with his many well-known commercial recording projects featuring acoustical instruments, such as the “Old-Time Gathering” and “Smoky Mountain” recording series he produced. In 2002 his ambition, drive, and support brought into being the legendary “Autoharp Legacy” 3-CD set featuring over 50 autoharp players from around the world in solo and duet formats.

Ron’s design of his Mountain Harp in the early 2000s is one of the few modern re-workings of autoharp construction. Tailored to sound best when played bare-fingered, and using guitar string gauges, it is sought after by players who value its unique timbre.

He helped initiate the Autoharp Jamboree at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas, and the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, where he became the International Autoharp Champion in 1994. He has also lent support in many ways to MLAG and other autoharp festivals past and present.