(Photo credit: Rue Sakayama)

The Handel and Haydn Society has appointed Lecolion Washington, Jr. as its next Philip and Marjorie Gerdine President and CEO, effective August 1, 2026.

He succeeds David Snead, who retired in May 2025.

Washington currently serves as Executive Director of the Community Music Center of Boston, where over nine years he oversaw 200 percent growth in net assets and secured the organization’s first permanent home in Boston’s Roxbury Cultural District. An accomplished bassoonist, Washington has performed with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and Memphis Symphony, and has been named a Musical America Top Professional of the Year in both 2019 and 2025. He previously co-founded the PRIZM Ensemble and PRIZM International Chamber Music Festival in Memphis and has served as a consultant to the Cincinnati and Nashville Symphony Orchestras.

“I was immediately impressed with the artistic excellence of the H+H Orchestra and Chorus and with the board’s commitment to inviting and welcoming not only those who are current subscribers of H+H, but also those who have yet to experience this wonderful institution,” said Washington, per an official press release. “I have devoted my entire career to opening and expanding pathways into music, and I look forward to partnering with Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen, H+H’s extraordinary musicians, the Board, and administrative team to share our music with audiences in Boston and beyond.”

Founded in 1815, the Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society is the longest consecutively performing arts organization in the United States.