The Washington Chorus is a choir based in Washington, D.C., United States. The three-time nominated and two-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble has 160 members and often performs at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Strathmore, and the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, as of 2020. History The Washington Chorus was the first major Washington area chorus to be founded independent of a church or college. In 1961 Hugh Hayward, a medical doctor and classically trained musician, founded the Oratorio Society of Montgomery County, which became known as the Oratorio Society of Washington, and is now celebrated under the name of The Washington Chorus. The organization has a $2.4 million budget, as of 2021. Leadership The Washington Chorus has had five artistic directors. Founding director Hugh Hayward was followed by Robert Shafer, who served for more than three decades. Subsequent directors included Julian Wachner (2008–2017), Christopher Bell (2017–2020), and Eugene Rogers, who became the choir's first Black artistic director in 2020. Rogers' Mahogany Series, slated to debut in 2021, will highlight composers and vocalists of color. Stephen Beaudoin served as executive director from February 2019 to August 2022. Dianne Peterson held this role previously. Notable performances The Washington Chorus has appeared at the invitation of leading orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The Chorus has sung with the National Symphony in more than 300 performances, under the direction of many of the world's leading conductors, including Gianandrea Noseda, Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Kent Nagano, Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Andrew Davis, and many others. The Chorus has sung for numerous prestigious events throughout its history: inaugurations, papal visits, with the Rolling Stones during their 50th anniversary tour, and at the White House in 2013 and 2014 for the President and First Lady. The Chorus was a featured performing group at the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors to pay homage to composer Philip Glass and a guest collaborator on “DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic” segment broadcast on the 2021 Biden-Harris Inauguration “Parade Across America”. Projects through COVID-19 Pandemic Although 20+ in-person concerts and special appearances were forced to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Washington Chorus remained active with special virtual programming, including the annual Candlelight Christmas concert. On November 14, 2020, the Chorus premiered “Cantata for a More Hopeful