Mairi’s long and distinguished career as a broadcaster began in Sydney in 1978. As a child she fell in love with music hearing her mother playing violin and piano, and classical music on the radio at home in New Zealand.
She studied piano and voice at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music whilst training as a high school music teacher, but after volunteer shifts at 2MBS-FM she auditioned successfully for the ABC and the rest is history.
In Sydney, Mairi co-hosted Behind the News and A World of Music on ABC TV, hosted In Tempo (the forerunner of RN’s The Music Show) and her own radio Interview program. She presented numerous concerts at the Sydney Opera house, Sydney Town Hall, the AGNSW and hosted SIPCA through the 1980’s. Mairi also hosted in-flight video and audio programs for major airlines.
Highlights of her BBC career in the 1990’s were hosting Radio 4’s long-running Woman’s Hour and the Drive Show on Radio 3. She also hosted BBC Proms and compered the Leeds International Piano Competition. Mairi toured as host broadcaster with the BBC Philharmonic on tours to Europe and the USA.
Based in Melbourne since 1998, Mairi has built a close a close partnership with the MSO, hosting concerts, giving pre-concert talks and interviews, writing musician profiles and touring twice to Europe with the orchestra. She loves hosting the MSO’s annual Myer Music bowl concerts.
Since broadcasting the opening of MRC in 2009, Mairi has regularly compered broadcasts, concerts, competitions including MICMC, and fundraisers. Her work for Opera Australia includes hosting both Melbourne Ring Cycles. She’s also coached singers and musicians from the Melba Trust, MSO, ACO and ANAM in media studies.
For ABC Classic, she was the long-time host of Strike Up the Band, and the interview shows: Music Makers and Legends. She is also the presenter of the long-running Opera Show and curated the playlist for the Opera Show double CD in 2011.
Since 2008 Mairi has 'lived the dream', combining her twin loves of music and travel, leading annual music and opera tours to Europe and the USA.
Mairi says “I get my greatest satisfaction from promoting musicians and sharing the magic they make with as many people as possible.”
