Michelle Maestas Simonsen was raised in the Pacific Northwest—Wasilla, Alaska, to be exact—where hiking, fishing, and flying in bush planes were just part of everyday life. Her love for the outdoors has always gone hand in hand with a deep connection to music and radio, shaped early on by the symphonies and operas she heard as a child and by her grandmother, a classical pianist and Chinese brush painter.

Michelle first joined Classical KING as an overnight host, later stepping into the role of Program Director. Today, she serves as the station’s Chief Content and Engagement Officer, where she leads the team shaping the sound of the station, growing its audience, and connecting communities across the region through music. She also remains a regular voice on the air and heads all digital efforts—from livestreams to social platforms—where you might spot her behind the scenes (or behind the mic) as @classical.darling.

Michelle came to Seattle in 2023 after two decades in Los Angeles, where she produced and directed concerts, recordings, and broadcasts featuring artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, Pepe Romero, Michael Tilson Thomas, and many more. She’s held the stage herself too, as a saxophonist, vocalist, and emcee.

A graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music (saxophone performance) and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (MCM, Communication Management), Michelle brings both artistic depth and leadership vision to everything she does at the station.

She lives in Seattle with her trumpet-playing husband, Dr. Walter Simonsen, and their dog, D.C. al Coda—“Coda” for short. Named for a musical term that means “from the head to the tail,” it’s a fitting name for a pup with a really cute head and a really cute tail.

KING: Let’s say you have a free day to spend somewhere beautiful. Are you heading to the beach or the mountains? In the Pacific Northwest, of course, we have easy access to both.

Michelle: Both! I’ve lived most of my life within a short distance to the ocean (or a lake) and mountains. Whether I was in Alaska, Michigan, or in Los Angeles, and now in Seattle too. I love to take in a water view. But if I had a free day and could be sent to a far away city with beautiful art and music, I’d take it. To Paris please!

KING: Favorite type of food?

Michelle: XLB. Hands down, I love a good soup dumpling. (XLB = Xiao Long Bao)

KING: It’s game night! Are you hoping for a board/tabletop game, a video game, or a sporting event?

Michelle: I’m going to RSVP with an enthusiastic yes for a board game night. I particularly love the Ticket to Ride Series and a new game called Hues and Cues. I have been known to play the GOAT (greatest of all time) storytelling and role playing game of Dungeons & Dragons.

I love sporting events; I’m looking forward to the next season of Hockey with the Seattle Kraken. I attend golf tournaments and can get excited about just about any live professional sport. My biggest hobby is golf. I play golf games, not just match play, but team golf and I play for glory in annual tournaments with friends.

KING: Beatles or Rolling Stones? (Or Bach or Beethoven?)

Michelle: A. Beatles, but it’s mostly because I was named after one of their songs. No shade to the Rolling Stones.

B. Bach!

KING: What music might people be surprised to learn you listen to — when you’re not at Classical KING, that is?

Michelle: I listen to Top 40 music from every era, and I learn lots of horn lines. I listen to brass band music. I also listen to quite a few jazz standards and great American song book tunes. I pick a song, and then I look for as many versions of it as possible and I listen how each musician interprets the melody, harmony, and style. Lately, I’ve been also digging music by Vulpeck, Lake Street Dive, and music my husband writes.

KING: What classical composers, living or dead, haven’t gotten their fair dose of attention — which composers aren’t “household names” but should be?

Michelle: Nadia Boulanger, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Takashi Yoshimatsu, David Maslanka.

KING: If your classical music collection was entirely vinyl records, which of those records would be nearly worn-out from being played dozens of times? In other words, what music do you come back to, over and over again?

Michelle: Oh easy, it would likely be ballet music from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn.

KING: What pieces of music do you turn to when you need comfort, solace, or relaxation?

Michelle: Gymnopedies by Erik Satie, By the Still Waters by Amy Beach, Dolly Suite: Berceuse by Gabriel Fauré, Rêverie by Claude Debussy.

KING: Let’s say you’re hosting a musical dinner party or cocktail party, and you can invite three composers or performers, living or dead. Whom do you invite?

Michelle: Can we pretend they all speak English so everyone can talk together? Also, I know it says 3, but I really would want 4 with a back up invite in case someone has to cancel due to a last minute performance obligation. Hildegard Von Bingen, Yo-Yo Ma, Nadia Boulanger, Leonard Bernstein.
(Back up invite: Franz Liszt)