Landing in Seattle in 2009 to attend the University of Washington, Nikhil found himself perusing the on-campus job fair only to find a local radio station that was hiring an audio editor intern. It was through this internship that he heard Classical KING was hiring weekend board operators.

Nikhil worked as a board operator for five years at Classical KING’s old location on 10 Harrison Street. Claiming he loved the “warmth of the master control studio, the thrill of switching to a live broadcast from Benaroya Hall or McCaw Hall, the focus needed to run the board for seven-hour pledge shifts”, which would turn out to be great practice for on-air hosting. It seems being surrounded by superstar announcers has a trickle-down effect.

When he is not on-air, Nikhil enjoys reading books and Wikipedia entries. He also likes to take in a movie here and there, swears by his daily morning run and is learning how to play the drums.

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.

Nikhil: I’d head to the lake. Lake Washington is a real gem to have in the city. I try to find a spot where Mount Rainier is visible in the distance.

KING: Favorite type of food?

Nikhil:  I love Pad See Ew from almost any Thai restaurant in Seattle.

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

Nikhil: A game that requires a minimal amount of focus and therefore generates the most non-game related conversation.

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

Nikhil: Beatles and Beethoven.

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

Nikhil: I regularly rock out to Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing”.

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

Nikhil: Most of my favorite classical composers, luckily, do get their fair and deserved share of attention.

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?

Nikhil: Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat by Jean Sibelius, performed by the San Francisco Symphony led by Herbert Blomstedt

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

Nikhil: I listen to Elgar’s Nimrod Variation or Brahms’s Intermezzo in E-flat.

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?

Nikhil: Mozart, Beethoven and Bach.