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At age 13, Ronn McFarlane witnessed something that changed his life.

"I heard a group of eighth-graders playing ‘Wipeout,' the 55-year-old recalls. "I'm sure it sounded terrible, but to me, it was the greatest thing ever. It was one of those transforming moments. I was excited beyond belief."

With a $16 guitar he bought from Montgomery Ward, McFarlane taught himself to play "Red River Valley" and "When the Saints Go Marching In" by strumming along with records, but by his lates teens was ready for a new challenge. He began studying classical guitar at the Shenandoah Conservatory. There, a passion grew for the masters like Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed music for the lute, a Renaissance string instruments iwth Middle Eastern origins.

In 1978, the Ellicott City native began studying the lute at Baltimore's Peabody Conservatory under Roger Harmon, who invited him to join the Baltimore Consort. For the next three decades, McFarlane continued to revive Medieval and Renaissance sounds with the group. He has branched out on his own, but still finds time for the musicians that helped launch his career.

"We're lucky. We're blessed to have found the right combination of people that can get along both musically and personally," McFarlane says. "So many excellent groups of musicians find that they just can't get along and end up hating one another."

Don't call his instrument a guitar. The lute may have strings, a fingerboard and a bridge, but it's completely different. Crusaders introduced it into European society after returning from the Holy Land during the Middle Ages. Scholars trace its origins to the oud, a pear-shaped instrument popular in Central Asia as early as the seventh century A.D. Some models have as many as 28 strings, but the one McFarlane will play at Sunday's concert in Silver Spring has 18.

There are many lutenists and many lute societies. What separates McFarlane is a willingness to write music for the instrument. New compositions declined in the 18th century as the harpsichord and piano took over the concert halls, and the lute was viewed as too quiet for a large audience. Still, with electric amplification at his disposal, McFarlane saw opportunity.

"I heard the lute as something that was really versatile, not some dusty old museum instrument," he says. "I began to respect it, and love the instrument the more I got to know it. I realized it would be a good vehicle for modern styles."

For the past decade, McFarlane has dedicated himself to fusing traditional techniques with folk and pop music.

"I love what he does," says Sten Maulsy, program director at Transfiguration. "He's done things on the lute that you've never heard before."

McFarlane's vision culminated in his 2007 CD "Indigo Road," a collection of original tunes that hops across musical boundaries. Tracks like "Pine Tops" and the title track shine with hints of bluegrass, New Age and Americana.

This year, the record industry recognized McFarlane's innovation with a Grammy nomination for "Indigo Road" as best classical crossover album.

"When I first heard [about the nomination], it was almost like disbelief," McFarlane remembers. "I wasn't anticipating it. I wasn't hoping for it. I wasn't even thinking about it."

He traveled to Hollywood in February for the awards ceremony, but the King's Singers, a vocal group from England, took the prize. Album sales and media requests have picked up, but McFarlane remains grounded in the music he loves.

"I wouldn't say that it's dramatically changed things, but it's definitely helped," he says. "It's just great to have the nomination and be recognized for that."

The album will serve as the centerpiece for McFarlane's performance on Sunday evening, but expect some traditional arrangements as well. To prepare for the gig, he joined instrumentalist Willard Morris for a series of small cafe dates.

"It's low pressure, and you can do what you want," Morris says of the atmosphere.

Morris, who lives in Silver Spring, is a longtime fan of the lutenist, but only began playing with him about a year ago. He'll accompany the lutenist on fretless electric bass, an instrument McFarlane says is a fine complement to the lute.

When not on the road, McFarlane retreats to his home in Portland, Ore., where he lives with his wife Anne and 10-year-old son Gabriel, who plays in a marimba band. He is proud of the mainstream exposure the lute has received recently, including Sting's 2007 tribute to Renaissance troubadour John Dowland. McFarlane has some Dowland recordings to his credit, and admires the rocker's lute-centric version of hits like "Fields of Gold."

"It's just haunting," McFarlane says. "It's a very beautiful version, a breath of fresh air."

Although he is open to pushing the lute further into the pop landscape, don't expect a Beatles or Rolling Stones cover, at least not for a while. For now, McFarlane will continue to zip his fingers across the strings, blurring the lines of what lutenists have been and what they will become.

The Potomac Talent Iona Artists Series presents lutenist Ronn McFarlane at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 13925 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring. A reception will follow the performance. Tickets are $20. Call 301-587-6267 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.