About Herbert Washington

Herbert Washington is the Harvey K. Smith Artistic Director and alumnus of the Grammy-award winning Phoenix Boys Choir. Recognized for his dynamic teaching style and his ability to instill a love for the choral arts, he is a frequent choral clinician, conductor, lecturer, writer, and adjudicator for regional and state festivals, workshops, and conferences around the country.  

Beyond the scope of choral music education, Washington is an advocate for diverse styles of music. He has ongoing efforts in producing, composing, and arranging radio and commercial music. Mr. Washington has collaborated with leaders in the music industry, including Grammy Award-winning Tori Kelly, Jordin Sparks, Bret Michaels, and Jason Derulo. While working toward his B.A., he was a tenor, counter-tenor, and soloist in the St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Dr. Anton Armstrong, and he directed “Voices of Praise,” the St. Olaf Gospel Choir. Upon graduating from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and earning a dual B.A. in Music and Fine Arts, Mr. Washington went on to receive an M.M. in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona. While under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Schauer and Dr. Bruce Chamberlain at UArizona, Washington founded the all-male award winning ensemble, Meow-or-Never A Cappella (previously known as CatCall) before graduating in 2009.  

Washington is a proud member of the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA), former ACDA Western Division Chair board member (WDACDA), and currently serves as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for Boy Choirs for the Arizona American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA). Herbert resides in Chandler with his beloved wife, Yadira, and their sons Elian and Yadian.