Joseph Duncan McLellan, known as Joe (March 27, 1929 – December 26, 2005) was The Washington Post's music critic for more than three decades as well as a chess and book reviewer.
He planned to be a professor of French literature but began doing freelance music reviews and found that he had a talent for journalism.
He once told Washingtonian magazine: "To be the primary critic of a monopoly newspaper is an overwhelming role.
"[1] In addition to serving as chief music critic for the Washington Post, McLellan wrote a chess column, wrote for the Book World section and covered White House parties and other society events for the Style section.
He covered world chess matches, and edited a syndicated column by the Czechoslovakian American grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek.