US mid-Atlantic-based master instrument maker Ken Koons has been crafting musical instruments since he was eighteen. He specializes in European folk instruments, such as the Welsh crwth, Swedish nyckelharpa and kontrabasharpa, German scheitholt, Icelandic langspil, Scandinavian tagelharpa, Bulgarian gadulka, and others. He also performs instrument repairs.
Koons is also a documentary filmmaker with World Community Productions, directing films on topics including dugout canoes and iron smelting. He was staff photojournalist with the Carroll County Times for thirty-seven years, where he garnered praise and numerous awards for his photographs and numerous creative projects. Koons is respected for his work as a carpenter, potter, and blacksmith in American colonial styles. He is a professional musician, performing traditional Celtic and Nordic acoustic music with the ensemble Wherligig.