Lecolion Washington, Jr. is the Associate Professor of Bassoon at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and bassoonist of the Memphis Woodwind Quintet. Washington enjoys the versatility that he has as a performer. As a chamber musician, Washington has performed with principal players from orchestras all over the world including the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Mozarteum, the Leipzig Gewaundhaus and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

He has performed with the New York Chamber Ensemble and the North Country Chamber Players (NH). In 2004 the Orchestral Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music invited him to perform on a chamber music concert of distinguished alumni. In the summers, Washington serves on the faculty of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa where he performs, coaches chamber music, and teaches master classes along with faculty from all over the world. Washington is the founder and director of the PRIZM Chamber Music Festival, which occurs annually in Memphis. The PRIZM Festival creates intensive chamber music experiences for students and adult amateurs.

As a soloist Washington has performed concertos with the Round Top Festival Orchestra, the Eroica Ensemble, the Meadows Symphony Orchestra at Southern Methodist University, the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble, and the University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra. He was also featured as a soloist in South Africa in a performance of the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Winds. Professor Washington has given recitals and master classes at schools around the country including the Eastman School of Music, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and the University of Texas at Austin. He gave a lecture-recital on music for bassoon by African-American composers at the 2007 National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music Conference, and he has performed at International Double Reed Conferences in 2005 (Austin, TX), 2007 (Ithaca, NY), 2009 (Birmingham, UK), and 2010 (Norman, OK).

Washington has attended the Texas Music Festival, the Cape May Music Festival, and the International Festival Institute at Round Top. In 2008 his first CD, Legacy: Works for Bassoon by African-American Composers, was released on the Albany Records label. The recording was met with favorable reviews in several publications. All Music Guide states that the recording “showcases Washington's fine singing tone on the bassoon”, and Fanfare Magazine notes that “my speakers, and my head, dote on the rich, warm quality of [Washington’s] lower register.” He has recently recorded the Eric Ewazen Concerto for Bassoon and Wind Ensemble with the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble.

Based on auditions, Washington has been offered positions with the Houston Grand Opera, the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra, and the Victoria (TX) Symphony Orchestra where he spent 3 seasons as assistant principal bassoon including one season as acting principal. Washington also served three seasons as co-principal bassoon of the Missouri Chamber Orchestra. He currently serves as principal bassoon of the Eroica Ensemble in Memphis and performs regularly with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the IRIS Orchestra. He has served as guest principal bassoon with the Memphis Symphony, the Arkansas Symphony, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and the Reno Philharmonic. Washington plays a Fox 660.